Safety tips

Never pay before you have visited the property and checked the documents. Most rental and sale scams ask for money before a visit: a "reservation fee", a deposit, or a "visit fee" paid by mobile money.

Before the viewing

• Talk to the advertiser by phone. Be careful if they refuse to talk, or say they are abroad and cannot show the property.
• Compare the price with similar listings in the same neighbourhood. A price far below the others is a warning sign.
• Check what a verification badge means: it never confirms that the advertiser owns the property.

During the viewing

• Visit in daylight, and bring someone with you if you can.
• Check that the property matches the photos and the description.
• Ask to see the land title, or the owner's written mandate if you deal with an agent, and the identity document of the person you deal with.
• Ask the neighbours or the quarter chief who owns the property.

Deposits and payments

• Pay the advance rent, the deposit and the agency fee only when you sign the lease, against a written and signed receipt.
• Make sure the lease states the rent, the advance, the deposit, the fee and the conditions for getting the deposit back.
• For a purchase, use a notary. Do not pay the seller directly before the deed is signed.
• Be careful with payments by mobile money or transfer to a person you have not met.

If something looks wrong

Stop all payments, keep your messages and receipts, and report the listing with the "Report this listing" link on its page. If you lost money, also report it to the police.