More than half (56%) of rental listings on Facebook Marketplace are scams, according to research by Generation Rent.
Scam listings were properties taken from other sites, like Booking.com and Rightmove, with price, location, or credibility variations indicating they were likely not legitimate.
Out of 300 rental property adverts reviewed, 74% contained at least one sign of being suspicious or fraudulent, based on Meta’s guidance.
Four indicators of suspicious listings identified in Generation Rent’s research were: if the seller’s profile is new or created within a year of the advert being published; if the seller’s profile picture is of someone else; if the rental price is significantly below the area’s average rent; and if the photos have been taken from other websites.
The analysis covered six major UK cities, revealing a high incidence of scams targeting private renters.
In Birmingham, 66% of Facebook Marketplace listings were found to be copycat adverts, with 62% in London, 60% in Cardiff, 58% in Belfast, 48% in Manchester, and 44% in Edinburgh.
The study indicated that many listings advertised properties for less than two-thirds of the average rent in their areas, with 86% in London, 54% in Edinburgh, 40% in Birmingham, 12% in Manchester, 4% in Cardiff, and only 2% in Belfast.
Among advertisers on Facebook Marketplace, 36% had very new profiles, and 12% used photos from other profiles and websites, including stock images.
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “What a scary time it is to be a renter.
“We’re in a cost of renting crisis, and scammers are taking advantage to prey on desperate people.
“For people who are struggling to find homes to rent through conventional letting agents, there may be a temptation to turn towards sites like Facebook Marketplace in the hopes of finding somewhere affordable.
“It is people in need of a good deal who are made most vulnerable to exploitation by scammers.
“It is vital that the government takes the initiative in building more affordable and social homes across the country, to protect renters from poverty and desperation.
“We will also be writing to Facebook Marketplace to highlight our research and call for more stringent moderation to prevent scammers exploiting people on their website.”
