Anti-scam checklist

The biggest fear in renting remotely is getting scammed. Treat the rules below as hard limits and you'll block the vast majority of scams.

A price clearly below the going rate for the same condo, with "first come first served — transfer now to hold it."
A landlord who claims to be overseas, so the place can't be viewed, asking you to pay a deposit before handing over the keys.
Only willing to share polished stock photos, refusing a real walkthrough video or a video viewing.
Pressuring you to pay in full, or to send money to a personal individual account, or to transfer privately via WeChat/Alipay.
A vague contract that won't even spell out the address and the landlord's name.

Verify the agent's credentials: use the number shown on this site and used when we actually contact you, +65 8337 1173, and look it up in the CEA (Council for Estate Agencies) public register — the result should match Chin Jun Yu / R068540A. Be wary of anyone you can't find, or whose details don't match.
Confirm the landlord has the right to rent: for a whole unit, check the property documents; renting out an HDB flat requires HDB approval and has an occupant cap.
Always view before you commit: if you can't be there, do a video viewing and have them move around on the spot to prove the place really exists.
View and verify before you pay: don't pay early just to "hold a viewing". View the place and verify the listing, the landlord's identity and the payment terms first, then pay according to the confirmed tenancy documents and payment arrangement — amounts, deposit and lease term in black and white.
Pay the right party, and keep a paper trail: rent and deposit go directly to the identity-verified landlord, by a traceable method such as bank transfer; don't send transaction funds to an agent, a so-called "assistant" or any unverifiable third-party account. Any tenant-representation fee is paid to Huttons Asia Pte Ltd as agreed, not to an individual agent.

"Sub-landlord" chains of subletting: confirm whether the person actually has the right to sublet, so you aren't turned out onto the street if the head tenant defaults.
Deposit not returned: photograph everything against the inventory list at move-in, so you have grounds when you move out.

Not sure whether someone is trustworthy? Send us the chat logs and the listing link on WeChat and we'll look at it with you.

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