How to Avoid Rental Scams in Prague – Erasmus in Prague

Every semester, some students lose money to fake flats in Prague. Scammers target people who are looking for housing from abroad, because they can't easily visit a flat before they pay. This guide shows how these scams work, which red flags to look for and how to check who you're dealing with before you send any money.

The tips are based on real cases shared by past students and our EiP Accommodation Team.

Most scams follow the same script:

1. A cheap, beautiful flat appears in a Facebook group, on Marketplace or on a small rental website, often in a popular area like Vinohrady.
2. The conversation moves fast to WhatsApp or Messenger, often with a foreign phone number.
3. The “landlord” is abroad and can't show you the flat in person.
4. You're pushed to pay quickly, because “many people are interested”.
5. You pay a deposit, and when you arrive in Prague, nobody is there.

Two real cases from 2026:

• In March, journalists uncovered a group posting fake Prague flats in expat Facebook groups. The photos were stolen from property websites in Lithuania. Victims signed a “contract” naming a real Czech company and paid deposits of around CZK 19,500, but the money went to an unrelated online shop (Page Not Found, Expats.cz).
• In February, Czech police charged a man who showed flats only as videos on his phone in a café and collected deposits for flats he couldn't rent. Police link him to a case with nearly 40 victims (Policie ČR).

Be careful if:

• You're asked to pay before you've seen the flat in person, on a live video call or in a 3D tour.
• The person refuses a live video call from inside the flat.
• The photos are blurry or low quality, or they show up elsewhere online.
• The same flat appears with different locations or descriptions. Check the seller's Facebook Marketplace history.
• They push you to decide fast (“many people are interested!”).
• They say they're abroad and offer to send the keys by courier or through a third person.
• They want payment to a foreign account or through Western Union, crypto, gift cards or an unknown payment link. That money is almost impossible to get back.
• There's no clear address, or you'll “get the address after paying”.
• They ask for your passport before you know who they are.
• Something just feels off. Weird requests that have nothing to do with the flat are a warning sign. Trust your gut.

Go through this checklist every time:

• See the flat: in person, on a live video call or in a 3D tour.
• Confirm who you're dealing with: a live video call, an ID, or a company you can find in the Czech business register at justice.cz.
• Get a written rental agreement with the name of the landlord or company.
• Check the bank account: it should start with CZ (a Czech IBAN) and belong to the same person or company that signs your contract.
• Reverse search the photos with Google Lens if anything looks off.
• In a shared flat, ask who already lives there.
• Check the owner in the Czech land registry at nahlizenidokn.cuzk.gov.cz, as Czech police recommend.

If one of these doesn't work out, stop and ask before paying.

Paying a deposit before you arrive is normal in Prague, especially when you book from abroad. What matters is who you pay, where the money goes and what you've seen first.

• What you've seen. Legit: photos, a 3D tour, a video made for you or a live video call. Scam: only a few blurry or low-quality photos, and they refuse a live video call or a new video of the flat.
• Who you're dealing with. Legit: a company or landlord you can check. Scam: a “landlord” who is abroad and hard to identify.
• The contract. Legit: you sign a written contract first. Scam: you pay first, and the contract comes “later”.
• How you pay. Legit: a bank transfer to a Czech account (CZ IBAN). Scam: a foreign account, Western Union, crypto or a strange payment link.
• Who gets the money. Legit: the account holder matches the name in your contract. Scam: the money goes to someone else.

At Erasmus in Prague, you pay the booking fee and the security deposit to our company account. For a few flats, the deposit goes directly to the owner's Czech account instead. In that case, your contract names the owner and their account, and your accommodation buddy confirms it with you. We never ask you to pay to any other account.

Scammers sometimes copy the names of real companies. Here's how to make sure a message really comes from Erasmus in Prague:

• Company: Students Prague s.r.o., company ID (IČO) 04576837. You can look us up in the Czech business register.
• Office: Záhřebská 10, Prague 2. Come by Monday to Friday, 10:00–16:00.
• Our bank account: account holder Students Prague s.r.o., account number 2001292382/8040, IBAN CZ51 8040 0000 0020 0129 2382.
• Our team: every accommodation buddy is listed with their name and phone number on our Contact page and on each apartment page. If someone writes to you from a different number, check with us first.
• Our flats: every flat we offer is listed on erasmusinprague.com. If you see “our” flat somewhere else at a different price, tell us.

Not sure about an offer, even one that has nothing to do with us? Message our Accommodation Team. We'll help you check it and can send you a list of verified flats that are free right now.

Act fast. The sooner you start, the better your chance of getting the money back.

1. Call your bank right away. Ask them to stop or recall the transfer. If you paid by card, ask for a chargeback.
2. Save everything: screenshots of the listing and chats, the contract, phone numbers and bank details.
3. Report it to the Czech police. Call 158 or go to any police station.
4. Report the profile and listing on Facebook or the website where you found it, so it doesn't catch other students.
5. Tell your university's international office and let us know. We share warnings in our community so others don't fall for the same scam.

Is it normal to pay before I arrive in Prague? Yes, when you book with a company you can verify. Pay only after you've seen the flat in a 3D tour, a video or on a live video call, signed a contract, and checked that the account is Czech and belongs to the company or landlord in your contract.

Is a WhatsApp message from “Erasmus in Prague” always from you? Not necessarily. Our team does use WhatsApp, but always from the numbers listed on our website. If a number isn't there, ask us before you reply or pay.

The offer is much cheaper than everything else. Is that a red flag? Often, yes. Furnished rooms in central Prague rarely cost much less than the market. If a deal looks too good to be true, check it twice.

Can I ask you to check an offer from someone else? Yes. Send it to our Accommodation Team and we'll tell you what looks suspicious.

See our verified flats →