Almost every rental scam in Perth follows the same script: a room or house priced below the market, an "owner" who cannot show you inside, and a request to pay bond and rent before you get the keys. If you remember one rule, make it this one: never pay anything until you have been inside the property and you have a signed agreement.
Below are the warning signs published by WA ScamNet and Scamwatch, the checks that take ten minutes, what WA law says about bond, and where to report a scam. All sources were checked in October 2026.
How do rental scams work in Perth?
WA ScamNet, run by Consumer Protection WA, describes it like this: scammers pose as home owners, use information taken from real websites to lure tenants in, and ask them to pay rent and bond upfront. Once the money is sent, they say the keys will be mailed out. The keys never arrive.
The details change, the structure does not.
- The ad is copied. Scamwatch says these scams often use a fake copy of a genuine property advertisement. The house exists. It just does not belong to the person you are talking to.
- There is a story. The owner is away from Perth caring for a sick relative, working overseas, or otherwise unable to meet. WA ScamNet lists these excuses by name.
- There is paperwork. Scammers may send fake identity documents and fake lease documents to look legitimate.
- There is a fake official. In June 2025, Consumer Protection warned that scammers were impersonating its own bonds team by email to make an upfront payment look safe.
Fake rental advertisements (WA ScamNet)scamnet.wa.gov.au
How common are rental scams in WA?
Consumer Protection published its numbers on 20 June 2025. For 2025 up to that date, WA ScamNet had received 35 reports of rental scams, with 12 victims losing $27,875. Across 2024 there were 45 reports, with 16 victims losing $39,935. One recent victim had lost $2,400.
Those are only the cases that were reported to WA ScamNet. In Perth room groups on Facebook, people already warn each other with lines like "don't pay any money until you actually see the property". How the main sites handle contact and reporting is compared in where to advertise a room for rent in Perth.
Rental scam warning, June 2025 (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
What are the warning signs of a rental scam?
Each sign below comes from WA ScamNet, Consumer Protection WA or Scamwatch.
| Warning sign | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Rent well below the market | A good room in a good suburb for much less than everything else you have seen |
| No inside inspection | You can "drive past", but there is always a reason you cannot go in |
| Owner is away | Interstate, overseas, caring for a relative, working for a charity |
| Pay first, keys later | Bond and rent by bank transfer, keys "posted" afterwards |
| No call, no meeting | Messages or email only, often from a free email account |
| Paperwork that arrives too fast | ID, a lease or a "bond receipt" sent before you have asked |
| Email from "the government" | An address that does not end in wa.gov.au |
One sign on its own can have an innocent explanation. Two together, stop. "Cheap" plus "can't show you inside" is the scam.
How do you check a room before you pay?
These checks come from the same official sources. None of them takes long.
- Go inside. Scamwatch is blunt about it: insist on inspecting the property, and a drive-by is not enough. If you are not in Perth yet, send someone you trust.
- Reverse image search the photos. If the same photos appear on another listing, with another agent or in another city, walk away.
- Search the address. See whether the property is listed elsewhere, at a different rent or with a different contact.
- Search the person. Scamwatch suggests an internet search on the name and email address of whoever is offering the property.
- Meet face to face. WA ScamNet's advice is to only deal with landlords you can meet in person, or to go through a licensed real estate agent.
- Keys and signed agreement first, money second. Consumer Protection's advice is to get the keys and a signed lease before transferring funds.
- Protect your ID. Do not email copies of your passport or driver's licence to someone you have not met. Scamwatch warns that scammers use personal details to commit identity fraud.
- Keep everything. The ad, the messages, the account details you were asked to pay into.
If you are moving from interstate, plan for a few nights of short-term accommodation so you can inspect in person. The full sequence is in moving to Perth for FIFO work: the complete checklist.
What does WA law say about bond?
Knowing the real rules makes the fake ones stand out.
For a residential tenancy, Consumer Protection WA says:
- The bond can be up to four weeks' rent, unless the rent is over $1,200 a week.
- The bond must be lodged with Bonds Administration within 14 days of being paid.
- Bonds Administration sends a record of the bond payment directly to everyone named on the bond.
- A lessor can only ask for up to two weeks' rent in advance.
So a "landlord" who wants two months upfront is asking for more than the law allows. And if nothing arrives from Bonds Administration, ask why.
Rental bonds (Consumer Protection WA)consumerprotection.wa.gov.au
For a room in someone's home, you may be a boarder or lodger instead of a tenant (the difference is explained in rooming house, boarder or housemate). Community legal centre Circle Green explains that boarders and lodgers are not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, and that their landlord does not need to lodge the bond with the Bond Administrator. That is legal, and it means your protection is the paper trail: a written agreement that names the amount as a bond and says when it comes back, a payment method that leaves a record, and photos of the room on the day you move in.
Any message about your bond that claims to come from Consumer Protection must come from an address ending in wa.gov.au. If it does not, it is fake.
This is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, call Consumer Protection on 1300 30 40 54.
What should you do if you have already paid?
Act the same day.
- Call your bank and tell them you have paid a scammer. Ask what can be done about the transfer.
- Stop replying. Do not send more money to "release" the keys or to get a refund.
- Report it to WA ScamNet on 1300 30 40 54 or at scamnet.wa.gov.au.
- Report it to Scamwatch, the National Anti-Scam Centre's reporting service.
- Report it to the site where you found the ad, so it is taken down.
- Keep the evidence: the ad, every message, the bank details and your receipt.
WA ScamNet also notes that you can report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Fake rental and shared accommodation listings (Scamwatch)scamwatch.gov.au
A note for hosts
Scams hurt real hosts too. Your photos can be copied into a fake ad, and people who have been burned stop trusting genuine ones.
- Offer an inside inspection in your first reply.
- Put the agreement in writing before you take any money.
- Give a receipt for the bond and for rent.
- Search your own address and photos now and then, and report copies.
A host who does those four things looks nothing like a scammer. Choosing who moves in is covered in how to find a housemate in Perth.
Where Kipmates fits
Kipmates is a room-share marketplace launching in Perth. First contact happens in on-platform messaging, so you do not have to post your phone number or full name under a public ad, and every listing and profile can be reported. It does not replace the checks above: wherever you find a room, inspect it in person before you pay. You can browse rooms, or list a room if you have one.
FAQ
How can I tell if a rental ad is fake?
Look for the combination WA ScamNet describes: rent well below the market, an owner who cannot meet you or show you inside, and a request to pay bond and rent upfront. Reverse image search the photos and search the address. If you cannot get inside, do not pay.
Is it safe to pay a bond before seeing a room?
No. WA ScamNet, Consumer Protection WA and Scamwatch all give the same advice: inspect the property before you sign or pay. Consumer Protection adds that you should have the keys and a signed agreement before you transfer money.
How much bond can I be asked for in WA?
For a residential tenancy, up to four weeks' rent, unless the rent is over $1,200 a week, plus no more than two weeks' rent in advance, according to Consumer Protection WA (checked October 2026). Boarders and lodgers are not covered by those rules, so agree the amount in writing.
Where do I report a rental scam in WA?
Report it to WA ScamNet on 1300 30 40 54 or at scamnet.wa.gov.au, and to Scamwatch. Call your bank straight away if you have sent money, and report the ad to the site it was posted on.
Can I get my money back after a rental scam?
Sometimes, but do not count on it. Scamwatch warns that it is rare to recover money sent by money transfer. Your best chance is to contact your bank immediately.
Do scammers target share rooms as well as whole houses?
Yes. Scamwatch's warning covers fake shared accommodation listings as well as fake rental properties. The script is the same, and the checks are the same.
Sources
Checked October 2026.
- Fake rental advertisements, WA ScamNet, Consumer Protection WA.
- Scammers impersonating Consumer Protection in rental rip-offs (20 June 2025), Consumer Protection WA.
- Fake rental properties and shared accommodation listings, Scamwatch, National Anti-Scam Centre.
- Rental bonds and Paying rent, Consumer Protection WA.
- Boarders and Lodgers fact sheet, Circle Green Community Legal.
