An AI rental search found a home you can tour. Who is taking the deposit?

Getting inside the house would feel like strong evidence that a rental listing was genuine. It can still leave you paying the wrong person. The US FTC's existing rental-scam guide warns that scammers can copy listings from landlords who use self-tour services and arrange a self-guided visit. A working door code does not establish that the person asking for a deposit has authority to rent the home. For an AI-assisted housing search, I'd keep ‘property visited’ separate from ‘owner or manager checked.’ Search the address for conflicting listings and check the rental company's own website. Confirm the offer through contact details found independently of the ad. For a private landlord, the FTC recommends checking local tax-assessment ownership records against the landlord's ID. An assistant can help collect those questions and find inconsistencies. I would not let it mark a listing ‘verified’ just because the photos match and the tour worked. Those are proposed checks, not a rental assistant I've tested or a guarantee against fraud. Moving is already expensive. The shortlist should not make an unverified deposit request look safer by putting it in a tidy table.