How do you avoid rental scams in Uruguay in 2026?

Classic scripts include a “owner travelling in Europe,” a below-market Pocitos or Punta del Este unit, and a request to wire a reservation or deposit to a personal account before any viewing. Another pattern recycles InfoCasas or Gallito photos with a new WhatsApp number and a story that the agency fee must be paid today. Summer Punta del Este demand makes fake short-stay bargains especially common: Living in Punta del Este and How much is rent.

Legitimate paths still feel bureaucratic: income checks for seguro de fianza, FGA or BHU steps, and a Spanish contract. That friction is a feature. Instant approval plus overseas payment is not: How to rent a home and Rental contracts and deposits.

View the flat in person whenever you can. If you are still abroad, demand a live video walkthrough that shows street signs, building entrance, and unit details matching the listing, not a pre-recorded clip. Ask for the padrón or ownership trail the inmobiliaria uses, and confirm the agent’s company details independently. Prefer portals such as InfoCasas with traceable agency profiles over anonymous classifieds alone.

Never pay a depósito or “hold fee” until you have a draft contract, a clear garantía plan, and a payment path to a named agency or owner account you can verify. Use bank transfers you can reverse-document, not gift cards or crypto. Keep your cédula and bank steps on a parallel track so desperation does not push you into a fake hold: Get a cédula and Open a bank account. Cross-check barrio pricing against living guides before you believe a miracle ask: Living in Montevideo and Where to live in Uruguay.