How to check a landlord and a rental ad are real
Simple checks you can do yourself before you pay anything: the photos, the address, the person and the paperwork.
- Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
- landdirect.ie – Land Registry (Tailte Éireann)
- An Garda Síochána – fraud
Check the photos
Search the photos with a reverse image search (Google Lens, for example). If the same pictures appear in an old ad, on a hotel site or in another city, be very careful.
Ask for a short video or a live video call walking through the room. Someone with the keys can do this easily.
Check the address
Ask for the Eircode and look at the street on a map. Does the building match the photos and the description?
Be wary if the advertiser won't give an address until you've paid.
Check the person
Meet them at the property and check they have the keys. Ask how long they've owned or rented it.
For a tenancy, ask for the RTB registration number. Landlords must register most tenancies with the RTB.
If you want to check who owns a property, the Land Registry (landdirect.ie, run by Tailte Éireann) sells copies of the ownership record for a small fee.
On StayLister, each ad shows whether the advertiser confirmed their mobile number, their email and their ID. These show who you're talking to, but they don't prove the person owns the property, so still do the checks above.
Check the deal
A price far below similar places nearby is the most common sign of a scam.
Be wary of pressure to pay a "holding fee" quickly, or to pay by money-transfer apps, crypto, gift cards or to someone abroad.
Get a written agreement, and pay by bank transfer to an Irish account in the name of the person you met.
If something is wrong
Report the ad on the site where you found it. If you've lost money, contact your bank straight away and report it to An Garda Síochána.
Common questions
How can I check if rental ad photos are real?
Search the photos with a reverse image search, such as Google Lens. If the same pictures appear in an old ad, on a hotel site or in another city, be very careful.
How do I check who owns a property in Ireland?
The Land Registry (landdirect.ie, run by Tailte Éireann) sells copies of the ownership record for a small fee.
Should I ask a landlord for their RTB registration number?
For a tenancy, yes. Landlords must register most tenancies with the RTB.