Stay Safe
Most people on ShareIN are genuine — but rental scams exist everywhere, and people new to Ireland are the most common targets. A few simple rules protect you from almost all of them.
The golden rules
- Never pay a deposit before viewing the property in person.No exceptions. Not a "holding fee", not a "booking amount", nothing.
- Keep conversations inside ShareIN chatuntil you've viewed the place. Scammers push to move to email or WhatsApp quickly so there's no record.
- Never send money by wire transfer(Western Union, MoneyGram, crypto, gift cards). Genuine landlords don't ask for these.
- Get a receipt and a written agreementfor any money you hand over, and pay by traceable means (bank transfer after you've signed, not cash).
- If it looks too good to be true, it is. A city centre double room at half the going rate is bait.
Common scams to know
The deposit-before-viewing scam
The "landlord" is abroad, can't show you the place, but will "post you the keys" once you transfer a deposit. The keys never come, the person disappears. Any story that ends with "pay first, view later" is a scam.
The fake viewing scam
You view a real property, pay a cash deposit on the spot, and get a set of keys — along with several other people who paid for the same room. The keys don't work and the "landlord" is gone. Don't pay cash on the day of a viewing.
The identity harvest
Someone asks for your passport, IRP card or PPS number "to prepare the lease" before you've even viewed. They're collecting documents for identity fraud. Share ID only when you're genuinely signing a lease.
Red flags
- Landlord is "currently abroad" and can't meet
- Pressure to decide immediately ("three other people want it")
- Price well below similar listings in the area
- Refuses a video call or in-person viewing
- Asks you to continue the conversation off ShareIN straight away
- The address in messages doesn't match the ad
- Sob stories or elaborate reasons why normal steps aren't possible
How ShareIN protects you
- Phone numbers stay hidden until you've exchanged messages with the advertiser — so first contact always happens on the record.
- Phone numbers pasted into listing text are removed automatically.
- Safety reminders appear across the site and on every listing.
Report it
If a listing or a message feels wrong, report it to contact@sharein.iewith a link and a short description. You could save someone else's deposit. If you have been the victim of a scam, also report it to An Garda Síochána — rental fraud is a crime.
For questions about anything else, see Contact Us.