Warning over rental scam claiming to be from Government

A warning has been issued about a rental scam which asks people to hand over a deposit and one months rent, in addition to personal information, using government Dept of Housing letterheads. 

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage says it has become aware of a number of false rental property listings.

Upon application by an individual, these adverts give rise to the issuing of and request for completion of a ‘Rental Application’ form/Residential Tenancy Agreement with what purports to contain a Departmental letterhead and logo, and a fake gov.ie email address.   

The individual is requested to complete this Rental Application/Residential Tenancy Agreement and provide personal information for registration.

It requests completion of this documentation and exchange of deposit and first month’s rent to ‘hold unit’.    

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage wishes to point out that it does not require or engage with registrations for private rental properties and therefore does not ask members of the public to provide personal information as requested in these advertisements.  

This ‘Rental Application’ form/Residential Tenancy Agreement purporting to be issued with a Department/Gov.ie logo and a gov.ie email address is fraudulent and we strongly advise prospective renters that it should not be completed.

If an individual responds to a private rental advertisement and receives forms purporting to be from the Department of Housing in return, they should not engage further with the vendor.  

Anyone who believes they have mistakenly provided personal information or paid a deposit in response to these types of fraudulent advertisements and false rental applications/tenancy agreements calls should immediately alert An Garda Síochána.