There are so many scam rental listings and room search posts now...

Here are some tips to protect both tenants and landlords from scammers:

1) if a phone number is provided, always check that it has a linked Paynow/Paylah account

2) if the price is too good to be true, definitely a big red flag (always cross check prices with similar listings on Propertyguru)

3) you should never have to pay money to secure a house viewing, and you should definitely view the house on site before signing any agreement

4) HDB rooms are cheaper and they are usually owned by Singaporeans/Singapore PRs. So if a foreigner claims to own a HDB unit, do a triple check

5) confirm whether you are renting directly from the owner or the main tenant. The main tenant needs owner permission to sublet. If you plan to rent from the main tenant, always check when their current lease with the owner expires before signing any tenancy agreement with them

6) deposits are usually 1 month rent, sometimes 1.5-2 months rent for newly renovated units with expensive furnishings (it is not fair to go beyond 2 months rent)

7) units in the same condo or units in the same HDB building have similar layouts/exterior (i.e. size and shape of window panels), it's a RED flag if the pictures in the Facebook/Carousell listing look vastly different from the units in the same condo/HDB listing on Propertyguru.

Meanwhile Do check out the new listing postal for the Roommates listings.

Renting out a room or searching for an ideal room is a tedious process, it pays off to be more careful :)

For Private Listings Portal: Free Property Listing Portal

https://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-guides/rental-scam-singapore-avoid-83154