How do you avoid rental scams in Singapore in 2026?

Stop when someone refuses an in-person viewing, claims the owner is overseas, or asks for a holding deposit before you stand in the unit. Stop when the ask sits far below rent norms for the corridor, or when the same photos appear under different addresses in River Valley, Katong or Jurong.

Stop when payment is directed to an agent, assistant, PayNow nickname or unrelated third party. CEA guidance says deposits and rent should go to the property owner by verifiable means. For Housing & Development Board (HDB) leases, agents are not allowed to handle transaction monies such as deposits and rent. Stop when a flyer shows only a name and number without a registration number.

Search the phone number used in the chat or listing on the CEA Public Register. Matching a name alone is not enough: if the number does not open that agent's profile page, treat it as a likely scam even when a registration number looks real. View the flat with the registered agent, then match landlord identity and authority through title evidence or HDB ownership proof as described in How to rent a home.

Sign a written tenancy before large transfers, and keep deposit, first rent and agent commission in separate lines: Rental contracts and deposits. Prefer a Singapore bank account you control: Open a bank account. Bridge with a hotel or serviced stay while you view instead of wiring from abroad: Short-term housing for newcomers. Shortlist real corridors so fake bargains stand out: Where to live, Living in Tanjong Pagar, Living in Katong.