How to protect yourself from holiday rental scams

We’re booking holiday stays on sites like Airbnb more than ever, but it’s left us at risk of many tricky scams. Here are ways to beat the tricksters.

More travellers than ever are using home rental and home sharing websites instead of hotels as a way to save money on holiday.

However, this has also led to a number of scams that can mean expensive fees or lost deposits.

Scammers take advantage of travellers who are looking for a good deal by offering bargains or tricking them into buying things that don’t exist. But those aren’t the only issues that could make your dream holiday hell.

With the busy northern summer holiday season coming up, The Sun reveals the top five ways you can avoid losing a deposit — or more — when using home rental services such as Airbnb.

TAKE BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

If you’re staying in someone’s house, protect yourself by taking photographs of each room before you check in.

One woman explained how she was accused of stealing a TV set from the apartment she was renting in Poland.

Don’t let scammers ruin your holiday.

Renata Lambert told US consumer advocacy group Elliott: “I was wrongly accused by my host of taking a TV set from his rental.

“Airbnb took the host’s accusation at face value and passed judgment without hearing my side of the story (and) charged my card on file for damages.”

She was initially charged $US333 ($A478.80), which was taken from the deposit, although Airbnb later reviewed the case and refunded the entire amount.

To avoid falling victim to incidents such as this, take pictures of each room as soon as you get there — along with any expensive items such as TVs or stereos — and take photographs again before you leave.

DOUBLE CHECK WHAT’S BEING OFFERED

Sometimes a listing can offer ensuite bathrooms, luxury amenities and stunning views — but you might arrive and find it’s nothing like it was advertised.

Recently, a tourist in Amsterdam who thought they were renting a room in a nice home only realised it was just a shipping container on the side of the road when they got there.

It could have been avoided with a bit more research.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Picture: AFP/Lionel Bonaventure

Always make sure there are clear images on the website, which look real and not doctored, and ones that give several different angles of the property rather than just close-up shots.

Also make sure you check whether they include extras such as Wi-Fi or towels or if there are additional fees — it is worth taking a screen grab while booking as well.

If means if you do have to contact a rental site to get your money back, there is clear evidence what was offered at the time of booking.

DON’T PAY OUTSIDE A RENTALS WEBSITE

A common scam is to ask potential guests to pay deposits outside of the rental website to “avoid Airbnb fees”.

However, this offers no protection — the scammer can take your money, leaving no trace, and you won’t be able to get it back.

Services such as Airbnb usually offer some kind of payment protection, but you should always pay with Paypal or credit card for added safety.

Holiday-makers have also lost out by sending direct bank transfers to what looks like legitimate websites that turned out to be scams, so make sure you do your research before you travel as well.

Double check who you’re paying. Picture: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News

GET IN TOUCH IF THERE’S A PROBLEM

If there is a problem at the beginning of the trip, notify the rental service straight away.

Leaving it to the end of your stay could make it much harder to claim your deposit back.

Airbnb, for example, holds the money and does not release it to the host until 24 hours after checking in, allowing you time to make sure the listing is legit.

So if you find the property isn’t correct or is unsafe, your money can be quickly refunded and put towards another rental.

DECLARE EXTRA GUESTS

While it can be tempting to sneak in some extra friends or a partner when staying at an Airbnb, this could make you liable for any damages — and the money will come straight from your account.

The host could also keep the deposit if you don’t ask first, as it could be seen as breaking the contract.

SIGNS OF A SCAM

• It seems too good to be true — for example, a holiday that’s significantly cheaper than you’d expect it to be

• Someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly

• You suspect you’re not dealing with a real company — for example, if there’s no postal address

• You’ve been asked to transfer money quickly

• You’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way — for example, by vouchers or wire transfer

• You’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission