7 Signs of a Rental Scam – and What to Do If You've Paid

Published September 21, 2026

Short answer: The clearest signs of a rental scam: you're asked to pay before you've seen the home in person, the landlord can't show it to you, the price is too low, and you're being pressured. If you've already paid, contact your bank immediately to try to stop the transfer, keep all documentation and report it to the police.

Rental scams aren't rare. According to the Danish National Police (Rigspolitiet), as cited by TV 2 (opens in a new tab), the police received 271 reports of rental fraud in the first eight months of 2025, and they typically see the biggest increase in August, when many students are looking for somewhere to live.

Use the list below whenever a home seems too good to be true. If you'd rather have a step-by-step guide to renting safely from the start, read How to Avoid Rental Scams in Denmark.

The 7 Signs That Should Make You Stop

You're asked to pay before you've seen the home in person. This is the most important sign of all. The police advise against paying a deposit, prepaid rent or rent for a home you haven't been inside – even if you've seen it on video.
The landlord can't show you the home themselves. She's "abroad," has a new job or a sick relative, and the keys can be mailed once you've paid. A genuine landlord who can't be there in person usually sends a friend, an agent or the current tenant.
The price is well below what similar homes in the area cost. A low price brings in lots of inquiries fast – and makes it easier to pressure you.
You're pressured to decide right away. "There are ten other people interested, so I need the money today." A genuine landlord gives you time to see the home and read the lease.
The money has to go an unusual way. To a foreign account, via Western Union or PayPal, in cash, or through a link the landlord sends you. Money can be hard to get back from abroad, and cash leaves no record. LejLet.nu doesn't process any payments, so a "pay via LejLet.nu" link is always fake.
You're asked for photos of your passport, driving licence or health insurance card. Never send them. The police warn that the information can be misused, for example to set up fake profiles in your name that are used to scam others.
You have to pay a fee or buy furniture to get the lease. It's illegal to require a tenant to pay for getting the lease – such as a "reservation fee" – or to make the lease conditional on buying something else, such as the landlord's furniture. Breaking this rule can be punished with a fine or up to 4 months in prison, and you can claim the money back (section 15 of the Danish Rent Act, lejeloven).

One sign doesn't prove a scam on its own. But if you see two or more at once, stop before you pay anything.

How Do You Check Who Owns the Home?

Look up the owner on tinglysning.dk (the Danish land registry) or boligejer.dk, and compare the name with the ID the landlord shows you at the viewing. You'll find more checks in How to Avoid Rental Scams in Denmark.

The "Verified landlord" badge on LejLet.nu (a green tick next to the landlord's name) means that the company's CVR number (Danish company registration number) is active and that we've manually approved that the person behind the account represents the company – not that the company owns that particular home. Private landlords aren't identity-verified, so always check the owner yourself – including when you found the home on LejLet.nu.

Already Paid? Do This Today

Contact your bank right away. The police advise contacting your bank immediately to try to have the transfer of the deposit or rent stopped. The sooner you act, the better – but there's no guarantee the money can be stopped.
Don't pay any more. If demands for more money appear – for keys, insurance or a fee, for example – don't pay, whatever you're promised.
Keep all documentation. Take screenshots of the listing, the landlord's profile and the whole conversation, and keep the payment receipt or a bank statement. Don't delete anything.
Report it to the police – see the next section.
Report the listing and the sender on LejLet.nu, so others don't get caught by the same scam.
If you've sent photos of your ID, protect yourself against identity theft. Set up a credit warning (kreditadvarsel) in the CPR register (Denmark's civil registration system) via borger.dk, so banks and businesses have to take extra care with identity checks before granting loans or credit. You can also get advice from Cyberhotline for digital sikkerhed (the Danish cyber hotline) on +45 33 37 00 37. If you've given away your MitID (Denmark's national digital ID), block it immediately.

How Do You Report a Rental Scam to the Police?

You can report the fraud online at politi.dk using your MitID. Having "rented a home you can't use" is one of the police's own examples of what you can report there. You'll be asked to describe what happened and upload documentation, such as bank statements, payment receipts and your messages with the scammer. If you don't have MitID, report it by calling the police on 114 or going to a police station. You can only report online without MitID if your MitID has been blocked.

Be prepared for the fact that it can be hard to get the money back – especially if it was transferred abroad. Report it anyway: without a report, the police can't investigate the case.

How Do You Report the Listing and the Sender on LejLet.nu?

The listing: Click "Report listing" at the bottom of the listing page, and choose "Looks like a scam". Briefly describe what happened – for example that you've paid, how much and how.
The sender: Choose "Report user" in the conversation, with the reason "Scam attempt". Then choose "Block user" so the person can't message you again.

We review reports manually and can remove a listing that turns out to be misleading or a scam. A report doesn't remove a listing automatically, and we can't get your money back – only your bank and the police can help with that. Read more in How to Report a Suspicious Listing.