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Don't fall for rental scams.

Rental scams are on the rise, and we are doing our part to prevent fraud. Please make sure you know who you’re talking to before you send money to “rent” a home. If you're looking for a job, avoid employment scams by visiting our careers page . Remember these tips to protect yourself and your family from fraudsters.

A woman using a phone and computer

Signs of a rental scam

The #1 sign that a rental scammer is targeting you is if you are asked to apply for one of our homes somewhere other than our website. We only accept applications and leasing funds through invitationhomes.com.  

Here are a few more common signs of a rental scam:  

  • Few to no photographs in ads or photos have another company’s watermark 

  • Listing and/or rental application looks unprofessional, is too vague or has typos 

  • Abnormally high security deposits and/or no background checks required 

  • The point of contact uses “pushy” sales methods like contacting you repeatedly and creating a sense of urgency 

  • Payment is requested via wire transfer, gift cards, cash, cash apps or services like Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or Apple/Google Pay 

  • You feel like you’re being rushed to pay 

  • The rent is $500 - $1,500 less than similar homes, or the deal is "too good to be true" 

  • Your point of contact doesn’t offer to show you the house 

  • The door is left unlocked for you when you come for a tour 

  • You’re told Invitation Homes no longer owns the home or is no longer the property manager 

  • During the tour, you’re asked to leave the key outside of the lockbox 


A man sits at a table with a laptop

Precautions we ask you to take against rental scams

  • Only send money to lease to invitationhomes.com. 

  • Never send money to us by wire transfer or person-to-person payment apps like Zelle, PayPal or Cash App. 

  • Never give anyone your username or password. Invitation Homes employees will never request that information. If anyone is trying to convince you otherwise, it is a rental scam. 

  • Only apply for one of our homes through our website. We do not lease our homes through Facebook, Craigslist or other classified advertising services. 

  • Only look for approved Invitation Homes listings on our website and reliable 3rd party listing services, like Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads and Realtor.com.


A woman on the phone sits in front of a monitor

3 quick steps to shut down a rental scam:

  1. Please report the scam to local law enforcement.

  2. Inform the website where you found the fraudulent ad.

  3. Inform Invitation Homes by submitting a Contact Us  Form.


Two men and 3 women gathered together

We don’t hire people through Facebook. 

  • Do not apply for a “job” opportunity to post our homes on social media. Invitation Homes does not recruit independent contractors to advertise our homes on Facebook, Instagram or Craigslist. If anyone is trying to convince you otherwise, it is a scam.


Fraud prevention frequently asked questions

What are rental scams?

Rental scams are attempts by fraudulent actors to cheat well-meaning people out of their money when they attempt to rent a home from a legitimate landlord. Please see our fraud prevention page to find out more about preventing rental scams.  

How can I identify a scam?

The #1 sign that you are being scammed out of renting from us is if you are asked to apply for one of our homes somewhere other than our website. We only accept applications and leasing funds through invitationhomes.com. Protect your Invitation Homes username and password. Our employees will never ask for your confidential login information. A few other common warning signs of a rental scam include: 

  • Abnormally high security deposits 

  • No background checks required 

  • Eager requests for cash or wire payments may include an emotional plea 

  • Deals "too good to be true" 

  • Bad grammar or lack of photographs in fraudulent ads 

  • Requests to provide your Invitation Homes username and password

  • Being asked to provide your Self Tour code to an Invitation Homes associate 

  • Accessing the home through a door other than the front door 

  • The door is left unlocked when you come to tour 

Please see our fraud prevention page to find out more about preventing rental scams.  

What are some possible red flags that someone may be trying to scam me and does not represent Invitation Homes?

  1. An Invitation Homes associate will never ask you for your username and/or password for any of our websites. 

  2. Invitation Homes associates will never ask you to pay via Cash App, Zelle, PayPal or any other person-to-person payment apps.  

  3. Invitation Homes associates will never ask you to leave a money order blank or address it to an individual person. 

  4. Leases are drafted and delivered directly from Invitation Homes. You will never be asked to sign a paper version of the lease. 

  5. Legitimate leases and payments can only be submitted through the Invitation Homes website: https://www.invitationhomes.com/ . 

Read more about fraud.  

I was scammed on one of your properties, what should I do next?

If you have been defrauded by someone pretending to represent us, that is a crime – please report it. Visit our fraud prevention page for advice on what steps to take. 

  • Please report the scam to local law enforcement

  • Inform the website where you found the fraudulent ad 

  • Inform Invitation Homes by submitting a Contact Us form


I found a property on Facebook/Craigslist for a different price, does Invitation Homes post properties to Facebook/Craigslist?

No, while Invitation Homes does advertise our homes with Facebook ads, the links to the listings will direct you to our website. We do not list our properties on Facebook, Craigslist or any other classifieds service. If you see a house listed as an Invitation Home on these websites, please report the fraudulent listing to the website’s owner. Read more about fraud.

What do I do if I see a fraudulent listing?

If you see a fraudulent listing:  

  • Please report the scam to local law enforcement

  • Inform the website where you found the fraudulent ad

  • Inform Invitation Homes by submitting a Contact Us form


How can I report a rental scam?

To report a rental scam, please: 

  • Report the scam to local law enforcement

  • Inform the website where you found the fraudulent ad

  • Inform Invitation Homes by submitting a Contact Us form


What websites do you lease homes through?

Our approved listings can be found on InvitationHomes.com , Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, Rentals.com, Apartment List, Apartments.com and Zumper. Find out more about fraud prevention.   

Would an Invitation Homes employee ever ask for my username or password?

Never give anyone your username or password. Invitation Homes employees will never request that information. If anyone is trying to convince you otherwise, it is a rental scam. 

Find out more about preventing rental scams.  

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