Although it may seem like summer has only just begun, term time is fast approaching (just six weeks away in fact!) and at Gumtree.com, we know how exciting it can be when you’re branching out to pastures new and moving in with friends, or starting university and scoping the area our for your student digs.

Signing on the dotted line isn’t something you should rush into – or feel forced into by a landlord or agent. Rental scams tend to peak in September in the last minute dash for new term or job accommodation, so to help you get off to the right start, we’ve pulled together some of our top tips for safe rental success, to make sure you’re not left out of pocket.

Follow Gumtree’s top tips on helping to find rental accommodation safely:

• View properties in person before paying any money. People who are not willing to show you their property or meet with you before accepting you as their tenant aren’t likely to be legitimate

• For your own safety, always have someone with you

• Ask lots of questions about the property and the area; any genuine landlord or agent should know the answers

• You may want to consider only renting from a landlord or agent that is a member of a professional accreditation scheme (e.g. ARLA, NALs, NLA etc)

• Ask to see a landlord’s proof of ownership for the property

• Never provide your personal identity or banking information to others over the internet e.g. details or photocopies of your passport, driving licence or your credit card number. Only give this once you’ve met them in person, viewed the property and decided to proceed with a rental arrangement

• Be aware of top scam warning signs, particularly money transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram

• Use common sense. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is

For your perfect pad, check out the Flats & Houses currently listed on Gumtree, and if you ever have any questions, or want to read more top tips on how to stay safe visit our Help & Contact page. Here’s to rental success!