Spotting listing red flags before you send money

Most monthly rental conversations are exactly what they look like: an owner with a furnished place and a renter who needs one. But rental scams do happen, and they tend to follow familiar patterns. A few minutes of checking before you send any money is the best protection there is. Here’s what to watch for, and what to do instead.

First, a few things that are always true on Month ‘n’ More

Knowing how the platform works makes the odd requests easier to spot:

• Month ‘n’ More never asks renters to pay rent or deposits to us or through us. Rent and deposits are arranged directly between you and the owner. If anyone says Month ‘n’ More is holding, guaranteeing or processing your payment, that’s a red flag.
• Renters pay no booking fees. If someone asks for a platform fee or a booking fee to secure a place, stop and check.
• Owners complete a live ID check before they can submit a listing. It’s a helpful signal, but it’s a limited check, not a guarantee.
• Every listing is reviewed by our team before it appears in search. Review checks the information submitted. It isn’t a home inspection.

Red flags in the listing

Look closely at the listing itself before you get attached:

• The price is far below everything nearby. A great deal is possible. A price that’s dramatically lower than similar homes in the area is a classic lure.
• The photos don’t add up. Rooms that don’t match each other, views that don’t fit the approximate location, or photos that look like they came from a magazine or another city.
• Details are vague. No clear bedroom and bathroom count, no utilities, no house rules, and few answers when you ask.
• The description pushes you elsewhere. Asking you to text, call or email outside the platform before you’ve even asked a question.

Public listings show an approximate location only, which is normal. The exact address is shared by the owner when you’re further along.

Red flags in the conversation

How someone communicates often tells you more than the listing:

• Pressure to move off the platform quickly, especially before you’ve confirmed who they are.
• Urgency. “Someone else wants it, pay today to hold it.”
• They can’t show the property. No in-person visit, no live video tour, always a reason why not.
• The story keeps shifting. They’re suddenly overseas, a relative will hand over keys, the address changes.
• Requests for sensitive details such as passwords, sign-in codes, full bank or card numbers, or your Social Security number in messages.

Red flags around payment

This is where scams usually land. Be very cautious if someone asks for:

• Wire transfers to unknown accounts
• Gift cards
• Cryptocurrency
• Payment to a third party who isn’t the owner you’ve been talking to
• A holding fee or deposit before you’ve seen the home or signed anything
• An overpayment where they ask you to send the difference back
• A payment link that claims to come from Month ‘n’ More

Any one of these is reason to pause. Several together, walk away.

What to do instead: a quick checklist

Before you send money or personal information:

• Keep the conversation in Month ‘n’ More messages while you’re getting to know each other. It helps our team review reports if something goes wrong.
• Confirm the owner’s identity and the property independently. Search the address, compare the photos with the approximate location, and ask questions only the real owner would know.
• See it live. Visit in person or ask for a live video tour and compare it with the listing photos.
• Get a written rental agreement with rent, deposit, fees, dates and refund and cancellation terms before you pay.
• Use a traceable payment method with fraud protection, and keep receipts.
• Don’t pay until the arrangement is confirmed.

For more questions worth asking early, see questions to ask before choosing a stay and our live guide to security deposits for monthly rentals.

What the owner ID check can and can’t tell you

On Month ‘n’ More, verified always refers to the owner. It means they completed a live check matching a selfie to a government-issued photo ID within the last six months. It doesn’t mean we inspected the home, confirmed ownership or guarantee the listing. Treat it as one signal among several, not a reason to skip the checklist above.

Read more on the Safety & Trust page.

If something feels off

Trust that feeling. You can:

• Report the listing or conversation from the property page.
• Report a safety concern through our scam prevention form.
• Block the other person. A blocked user can’t keep messaging you through Month ‘n’ More.
• Ask Nia, our assistant, who can hand you to a person on our team, or open a support case from your account through the Help Center.

If you’ve already sent money, contact your bank or payment provider right away. Month ‘n’ More can’t reverse or recover payments made between users, so the sooner your bank knows, the better.

The calm version

Most owners will happily answer questions, show you the home and put everything in writing, because that’s what a good monthly stay looks like. Slowing down to check isn’t rude. It’s how you find the right place.

Start your search on Find a stay, and keep the Safety & Trust page handy.