How do you avoid rental scams in Moldova in 2026?

Stop when someone refuses an in-person viewing, claims to be overseas, or asks for a booking deposit before you stand in the flat. Stop when the same photos appear under different Botanica or Rîșcani addresses, or when the ask sits far below renovated Centru and Buiucani norms: How much is rent. Stop when the person showing the keys cannot prove ownership or a power of attorney, or refuses any written lease.

Stop when the landlord will not register the contract with the State Tax Service. That filing is what IGM expects for many residence and address packs: Apply for a residence permit and Rental contracts and deposits. Scammers push chats into private messengers and invent competition for the unit. Portal ads lower some noise and still need viewing discipline: How to rent a home.

Walk the exact address, check floor and heating claims, and photograph meters at handover once a deal is real. Ask for the landlord’s identity document (buletin for Moldovan residents) and a Register of Immovable Property extract, or a notarised power of attorney if someone else signs. Prefer bank transfers that match named parties after signing, not anonymous personal accounts under time pressure: Open a bank account.

Use a written Romanian or Russian lease that separates first rent, security deposit, and any agenție fee, with a clear deposit-return deadline and inventory list. Ask for confirmation that State Tax Service registration will happen within seven days, and keep the stamped confirmation for IGM and banking folders. Shortlist real districts first so fake bargains stand out: Living in Chișinău, Living in Bălți, and Where to live in Moldova. Keep dated photos of every room the day you move in.