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Guests · 5 min read
The vast majority of holiday homes are exactly what they say they are, run by hosts who care about their guests. But rental scams do happen, and they tend to follow the same patterns: a listing that's too good to be true, or a request to pay outside the booking site. The good news is that a few simple habits make you very hard to catch out. Here's what to watch for, and the one rule that protects you more than any other.
By Offer2Stay · Updated October 2026
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Get offers — freeIf anyone asks you to pay by bank transfer, send a deposit outside the site, or move the conversation to a private email or messaging app 'to avoid fees', stop. This is the single most common sign of a scam.
Paying through the booking platform is what protects your money if something goes wrong. Once money has been sent by bank transfer to a stranger, it can be very hard to get back. However convincing the reason sounds, keep payment on the platform.
Tip: A genuine host has no reason to ask you to pay outside the booking site. If they do, treat it as a red flag — however friendly the message.
Scams tend to share a few tell-tale features. Any one of these is worth pausing over; several together are a strong signal to walk away.
These take a few minutes and are worth doing for any booking, especially an expensive one or one found through social media.
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Trust your instincts. If something about a listing or a payment request doesn't feel right, don't pay. Stop and check, and if you've already shared details or paid, contact your bank straight away — the sooner they know, the better.
If it happened on a booking platform, report the listing or message to the platform's support team so they can investigate.
Scams aren't only about money. Be cautious about sharing more personal information than a booking needs. A genuine host doesn't need copies of your bank statements, and you should never share passwords or one-time security codes with anyone — a booking site or bank will never ask you for them by message.
Be wary of links sent by message or email that ask you to 'confirm' a booking or 'update' your payment details. If in doubt, don't click — go to the booking site directly and check your booking there.
Book through a platform you trust, pay through that platform, keep your messages there, and take a moment to check anything that seems too good to be true. Those four habits will protect you from almost every holiday rental scam — and let you get on with looking forward to your trip.
If you're booking a holiday home for family or friends — a group trip, or a stay for relatives visiting from abroad — the same rules apply. Book and pay through the platform, keep the messages there, and share the booking details with your group so everyone knows where they're going and how to check in.
Be extra careful if someone in the group sends you a link to a 'great deal' they found on social media. Check it's on a trusted booking site before anyone pays.
On Offer2Stay, payment is taken securely through the platform, and your card is only charged when a host says yes to a price. Hosts are verified, and you can message them on the platform before you accept an offer — so there's never a reason to take the conversation or the payment elsewhere.
If anything about a request for payment feels wrong, don't pay — contact support and we'll look into it.
No — pay through the booking platform so your money is protected.
Only when a host says yes to a price. Payment is taken through the platform.
Yes, hosts are verified.
Yes. You can message hosts on Offer2Stay before you accept an offer.
Don't pay. Keep all messages on the platform and contact support. If you've already paid outside a platform, contact your bank straight away.
Find your stay. Let hosts make the offer.
Name your price for UK stays. Guests post what they need; hosts send private offers around the calendars they already run on Airbnb and Booking.com.