Renting a Home Abroad as a Foreigner: How to Avoid Scams and Get a Lease
Renting a Home Abroad as a Foreigner: How to Avoid Scams and Get a Lease
Finding housing is usually one of the biggest logistical challenges for anyone who has just arrived in a new country. Without local credit history, without a local guarantor, and often without even being able to view the property in person before moving, the process can seem complicated — but following a few basic precautions avoids most of the problems.
Documents landlords usually ask for
- Valid passport or ID document.
- Proof of income (work contract, bank statements, or an employer letter).
- Local tax identification number (such as the NIF in Portugal).
- References from previous landlords, when available.
- A local guarantor or a larger security deposit, when there's no local credit history.
Alternatives when you have no credit history
- Offer a larger deposit: instead of one month, offering two or three months' rent upfront usually reassures the landlord.
- Show financial reserves: bank statements showing enough funds to cover several months of rent help make up for the lack of local history.
- Use platforms or agencies that specialize in renting to foreigners and newly arrived immigrants, who already deal with this type of tenant regularly.
- Start with temporary housing (a room, an aparthotel, or a short-term rental) while you sort out your paperwork and view properties in person.
Tip: whenever possible, avoid signing a long-term lease without viewing the property, or without having someone you trust view it for you.
Warning signs of a scam
- A landlord who is only available from abroad and refuses any video call or in-person visit by a third party.
- A request for upfront payment by international transfer before signing any contract or seeing the property.
- A price well below the area average, with no plausible explanation.
- A listing with photos that appear on other sites with different addresses or names.
- Pressure to decide quickly, "before someone else rents it."
What to check before signing
- Whether the contract is in the name of the property's actual owner — ask to see the property deed or an equivalent document, when possible.
- Whether everything discussed (price, duration, included expenses) is written into the contract.
- Whether there's a signed inventory of the property's and furniture's condition, to avoid disputes when getting your deposit back.
Finding housing is easier when you already have a support network at your destination. The platform's Housing tab gathers verified listings, and [immigrant communities](/community-groups) by country and city are a great source of recommendations for neighborhoods and trustworthy landlords.