Miami's rental market is competitive — and scammers know it. High demand, rising prices, and desperate renters create the perfect conditions for fraud. Whether you're renting a room, an apartment, or a house, here are the most common schemes and exactly what you can do to protect yourself.
This is one of the most common scams in Miami. Someone rents an apartment and then turns around and re-rents it to you — without the landlord's knowledge or permission. They collect your deposit and first month's rent, and the moment a real issue comes up (like the water getting shut off or the actual owner showing up), you have no legal standing. The lease is between them and the landlord, not you. In many cases, the scammer doesn't even have the right to sublet.
Red flag: The person you're paying is a tenant, not the property owner. Always ask who owns the unit and verify it before signing anything or handing over money.
In extreme cases, a person will squat in a vacant or foreclosed property and advertise it for rent — collecting deposits from multiple victims before disappearing. By the time you try to move in, either someone else is already there or the true owner has no idea who you are.
Even in legitimate rentals, landlords in Florida frequently hold onto security deposits unfairly. They may claim damages that don't exist, fail to provide an itemized list within the required 30-day window, or simply go silent after you move out. Florida law requires landlords to return the deposit (with a written claim of any deductions) within 15–30 days, depending on the situation. Many don't.
Know your rights: Under Florida Statute 83.49, if your landlord fails to return your deposit or give proper written notice within 30 days, they may forfeit their right to keep any portion of it. Document everything.
Scammers copy real listings from Zillow, Apartments.com, or Craigslist, lower the price to make it look like a deal, and post it as their own. They'll tell you the owner is out of town and offer to mail you the keys after you wire them a deposit. You'll never hear from them again.
Some bad actors create LLCs specifically to rent properties — or to look like legitimate property management companies — making it harder to track them down if something goes wrong. The LLC may have no real assets and get dissolved shortly after. Don't let an LLC name make you feel safer without doing your homework.
Bonus tip: Before you sign, you can pull eviction records in Miami-Dade through the Clerk of Courts online portal. If your prospective landlord has filed multiple evictions, it may be a sign of someone who creates difficult living conditions or takes deposits and doesn't follow through.
If someone took your deposit and disappeared, or you moved into a unit only to find out it was rented illegally, here's what to do:
Remember: Knowledge is your best protection. The scams described here work because renters are in a hurry and under pressure. Take an extra day to verify — it could save you thousands of dollars.