By Staff Reporter

Fraudulent letting agents are attempting to extract financial payments from prospective tenants.

That is the stark warning from the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), which says such bogus agents appear to operate mostly online and purport to use a PSRA licence number.

Prospective tenants should be aware that all letting agents, auctioneers, estate agents and management agents operating in the Republic of Ireland must hold a valid PSRA licence to provide a property service.

The individual licence is a credit-card-sized document which has the licensee name, photographic identification and a unique 12-digit licence number.

When using a property service provider, the PSRA advises tenants to ask for their licence, which they are obliged to have available for inspection.

The PSRA publishes a public register of licensed providers at www.psr.ie where you can check the validity of a licence.

Speaking on the issue, PSRA chief executive Maeve Hogan said recent reports regarding bogus letting agents are “a matter of grave concern”.

She added that this is the “time when students are starting or returning to college or university and a higher number of lettings take place. Students seeking to rent accommodation are strongly advised to exercise vigilance to ensure they do not fall foul of bogus letting agents and are not using an unlicensed operator.”

Unlicensed letting agents, auctioneers, estate agents and management agents are breaking the law and do not provide any consumer protection.

Anyone aware of unlicensed operators is urged to contact the PSRA at info@psr.ie.