5 apartment scams in Hanoi and exactly how to spot them

Most renting-in-Hanoi horror stories trace back to a handful of repeat scams. None of them are sophisticated. Once you know the pattern, they are easy to avoid.

Play video

1. The listing that does not exist

Beautiful photos, an unbeatable price, and the agent needs a deposit to "hold" it before you view. The unit is not real. Never pay anything before viewing in person or on a live video call.

2. Bait and switch

You enquire about the nice apartment, but it is "just rented", and the agent only has pricier, worse ones to show. The original was bait. A verified, dated listing that is removed the day it rents prevents this.

3. The disappearing deposit

At checkout the "landlord" finds vague damage and keeps your deposit. A signed move-in condition report with photos is your protection. No report, no proof.

4. The fake landlord

The person signing is not the legal owner and cannot register your residence. Always see the pink book (ownership) or a clear authorisation before paying.

5. The verbal promise

Repairs, furniture, the AC, "yes, included", and then it is not, because it was never written down. If it is not in the contract, assume it does not exist.

Two more to watch for

These are less common, and just as easy to avoid once you know them.

• The double let. The same home is promised to two renters, and whoever pays first loses. A signed lease with the legal owner, and a receipt for every payment, is what makes the home yours.
• The fee for nothing. An agent asks you, the renter, for a fee to show you homes or to “reserve” a viewing. A viewing should cost you nothing, and at Nest the landlord pays our commission.

How to check a listing is real

A few minutes of checking before you go anywhere near a deposit:

• Ask for a live video call that walks from room to room, including the view from a window
• Search the photos: the same pictures under different names, prices or districts are a warning
• Ask when the home was last checked as free, and by whom
• Visit the building and ask the reception or the guard whether that apartment is for rent
• Compare the rent with similar homes in the same district on the Neighbourhoods page: a price far below them is the bait

Paying safely

Almost every scam ends with money moving too early or to the wrong person.

• Pay nothing until you have seen the home, in person or on a live video call
• See the ownership document, the pink book, or a written authorisation from the owner
• Pay by bank transfer to the person or company named on the lease, never in cash to a go-between
• Get a receipt for every payment, and keep it with the lease
• Make sure the deposit amount, and the conditions for getting it back, are written into the lease

If something goes wrong

Keep every message, receipt and photograph, and put your complaint to the landlord or the agent in writing, so there is a record of what was said and when. Ask someone who speaks Vietnamese to help with the conversation. If you believe you have been defrauded, report it to the local police.

Our guides to getting your deposit back and checking a lease written in Vietnamese cover the two documents that settle most disputes.

The green flag

Every Nest home is inspected in person and date-stamped, the owner is verified, the contract is translated into your language, and you never pay a tenant agency fee. The whole model exists to remove these five risks.