How to Spot a Fake Listing in Nigeria

The fake listing problem is real

Rental scams are common in Nigeria. Someone posts beautiful photos of a flat at a suspiciously good price, collects your caution deposit, and disappears. It happens every day. Here's how to protect yourself.

Red flags to watch for

1. The price is too good

If a 2-bedroom in Lekki Phase 1 is listed at ₦400,000 per year, that is a scam. Know your market. When a price is 30–40% below everything else in the area, someone is setting a trap.

2. The "landlord" is abroad

A classic script: the owner is in the UK or US, they'll send the key by courier once you transfer the caution deposit. No legitimate rental works this way. Hang up.

3. Photos look like they're from a magazine

Reverse image search the photos. Many scammers steal images from property sites in South Africa, the UK, or even Nigeria itself. If the photo shows up elsewhere, walk away.

4. You can't visit the property

"The current tenant is still there." "The caretaker is travelling." Any reason you can't physically see the place before paying anything is a red flag.

5. Payment before viewing

Never pay anything — not even a "reservation fee" — before you have seen the property in person and confirmed the landlord's ownership documents.

How HouseRun prevents this

HouseRun agents physically visit every property they submit. There are no scraped listings, no stock photos, no "landlord abroad." What you see in your brief results is a real place, photographed and vetted by a real person.