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Fraud prevention and renting safely

Last updated: · version 1.0

This translation is for convenience; the Dutch version is legally binding.

Read the Dutch version

Unfortunately, there are scammers who pose as landlords. These tips will help reduce the chance that you're scammed.

The most important rule

Never pay any money before you've viewed the home and signed a rental contract. Not even for a "reservation", "keys sent by post" or a "deposit in advance".

How to rent safely

  • Always view the home yourself, or have someone you trust do it for you. A video or photos aren't enough.
  • Never pay via WhatsApp, via a payment request, a gift card, crypto or a money transfer abroad.
  • Be suspicious of a strikingly low rent, pressure to hurry ("pay today, lots of people are interested") or a landlord who's "abroad" and can't show you the home.
  • Check the landlord. For a company, look it up in the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Trade Register. You can check who owns a home through the Land Registry (Kadaster).
  • Read the rental contract before you sign. If you're unsure, get help, for example from the Juridisch Loket or the Rent Tribunal (huurcommissie).
  • Only share a copy of your ID if it's really necessary, and then use the government's KopieID app: mark it as a "copy" and hide your citizen service number (BSN) and passport photo.
  • Don't send documents such as payslips to anyone you can't verify.

What does HuurPulse do?

  • HuurPulse never asks you for money via WhatsApp and never asks for payments to a landlord. HuurPulse is not a landlord.
  • Our team checks landlords' listings before they go live.
  • We check the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number of business advertisers.
  • Signal homes clearly state that the listing comes from another website. For those, you respond on the original website.
  • We investigate every report and take misleading listings offline.

HuurPulse's only WhatsApp number is +31 6 84811742. There too, we never ask for a payment, a password or a code.

Unsure about a listing?

Report it using the "Report an error" button on the home or email meldingen@huurpulse.nl. We investigate every report and take misleading listings offline quickly. For homes that come from another website, we also report it to that source.

Have you been scammed?

  • Report it to the police.
  • Contact your bank. Sometimes a payment can still be recovered.
  • Also let us know via meldingen@huurpulse.nl. That way we can protect other home seekers.
  • Report it to the Fraud Helpdesk (fraudehelpdesk.nl).