Avoid holiday rental scams with an in-person villa check
Before you send the balance for a villa or holiday let abroad, a local checker confirms it's real and looks like the photos. It's the simplest protection against holiday scams.
How holiday rental scams work
A typical villa scam uses real photos copied from another site, a price just below the competition and a "host" who wants a bank transfer. Holiday let scams and holiday home scams follow the same pattern, and many holiday booking scams now start on social media.
Misleading listings are real places with flattering pictures: a sea view that's mostly car park, a "short walk" that's a steep twenty minutes, a pool that hasn't been filled since last summer. Platforms can only check what hosts upload. A checker stands outside the actual gate.
When a check against holiday villa scams makes most sense
- You're paying the owner directly or by bank transfer
- The listing is new, or has few reviews
- It's a big booking: a family villa, a wedding, a group trip
- The host asks for the full balance months in advance
- Something feels slightly off and you can't say why
- The property exists at that addressFront door, house number and street photographed, location pinned.
- It looks like the photosRooms, beds, bathrooms, kitchen, pool and outside space, shot from the same angles as the listing.
- Someone real answers the doorWhere possible the checker meets the host or manager and confirms they know about the booking.
- The surroundingsNoise, building work, parking, the real walk to the beach or station, and how the street feels after dark.
- Your own questionsWi-Fi speed, stairs, cot, air conditioning, whatever matters for your trip.
Search your destination
Enter the country and city of the place you're booking and see the local checkers who cover it.
Choose your checker
Compare profiles, specialties, languages and the price each checker sets. Message them with any questions.
Book an inspection
Paste the listing and say what to check. The checker visits, photographs and films it, and checks the street around it.
Approve, then they're paid
Your report arrives with photos, video and a verdict. Your payment is held until you approve it.
Holiday rental questions
How do I know if a holiday rental is a scam?
Common signs: a price well below similar properties, a host pushing you to pay by bank transfer or outside the booking platform, photos that appear on other listings, and refusal to do a video call. A local in-person check is the most reliable way to be sure.
Is it safe to book a villa direct with the owner?
It can be, and it's often cheaper. The risk is that you lose the platform's protection. Pay by credit card where possible, get a written contract, and have the property checked before paying the balance.
Can you check a villa on Booking.com or Vrbo?
Yes. Any platform, any private website. If there's an address or enough detail to find the property, we can check it.
What if the villa doesn't match the listing?
You'll have photo and video evidence before you pay the balance, which you can use to renegotiate, cancel, or raise a dispute with the platform.
What counts as accommodation fraud?
Accommodation fraud covers fake listings, payments taken for places the 'host' doesn't control, and cloned booking sites. Holiday accommodation scams cost UK travellers millions every year. If it happens to you, contact your bank and report it to Action Fraud.
Is Checkerist a property inspection service?
It's a property inspection service built for travellers: a visual check that the place exists and matches the listing, not a structural survey.