# Rental Scams Around New Austin Apartments: How to Spot Them > Fake listings using renderings, payment before a tour, and unverifiable agents. How to check the leasing office and a TREC license. URL: https://newapartmentsaustin.com/guides/new-construction-rental-scams/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-25 Guide · Guides # Rental Scams Around New Construction: How to Spot Them Fake listings using renderings, payment before a tour, and agents you can't verify. How to check the leasing office and a TREC license before you pay. Written by New Austin Apartment Team [/about/#new-austin-apartment-team →](/about/#new-austin-apartment-team) · Reviewed by the team, Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC · Updated October 25, 2026 · 4 min read - Free to you, and your rent is the same either way - 144 new communities tracked (as of Oct 25, 2026) - Prices pulled every morning ![Phone showing an apartment listing beside a printed rendering on a desk](/images/featured/phone-showing-an-apartment-listing-next-to-a-print.webp) - Licensed Texas brokerage Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, TREC #562021 - Free to renters Communities pay the brokerage. Your rent is the same either way. - Prices pulled every morning Every card shows the date and time it was pulled - Score can't be bought Commission rates never affect score, sort, placement, or picks ## Why do scams cluster around new construction? New buildings come with polished developer renderings, lots of open units, and renters who are often moving from out of town. That combination is easy to copy. A scammer lifts the renderings, posts a listing below market, and asks for a deposit before you can tour. With 144 new communities on our board on Oct 25, 2026, the real options are plentiful, so a deal that requires speed and cash before verification is the first warning sign. Working with a licensed Texas brokerage [/ →](/) is one layer of protection; the steps below are the rest. ![Checklist of four rental scam warning signs](/images/content/checklist-graphic-of-four-rental-scam-warning-sign.webp) ## Four warning signs | Warning sign | What it looks like | What to do | | --- | --- | --- | | Renderings, no real photos | Only architectural images, no unit number | Ask for the actual unit number and photos or a live video walk | | Payment before a tour | “Send a deposit to hold it” by app or wire | Pay only through the property’s official portal | | Price far below the area | Well under nearby new builds with similar finishes | Compare with the board’s dated numbers | | An agent you can’t verify | No license number, or one that doesn’t match | Check the TREC license lookup | ## Verify the leasing office directly Don’t use the phone number or email in the listing. Instead: 1. Find the community’s **official website** by searching its name. 2. Call the **leasing office** using the number on that site. 3. Confirm the **unit number**, the rent, and the special. 4. Ask how they accept applications and payments. Real communities use an online portal or the leasing office, not a payment app to a person. ## Check a TREC license Texas real estate brokerages and agents are licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission. You can search the TREC license lookup by name or number. Our brokerage, Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, holds TREC #562021, and it appears on every page of this site. If someone claims to be a locator and won’t share a license number, treat that as a red flag. Our guide on how apartment locators get paid [/guides/is-an-apartment-locator-free/ →](/guides/is-an-apartment-locator-free/) explains who pays a licensed locator. > **A simple rule** > > Never pay to see an apartment, and never pay anyone except the property through its official channel. ## Remote renters: extra care If you’re leasing from out of state, you can still lease safely: - Ask for a **live video walk** of the actual unit, not a recorded clip of the model. - Get the **written fee sheet** and the special from the leasing office directly. - **E-sign** through the property’s portal only. Our guides on renderings vs. the real unit [/guides/renderings-vs-real-unit/ →](/guides/renderings-vs-real-unit/) and leasing remotely [/guides/lease-apartment-sight-unseen/ →](/guides/lease-apartment-sight-unseen/) cover each step. ## How we protect you Every building on our board is verified with the community, and every special is confirmed before it publishes. Before you pay anything, we confirm the community, the unit, and the terms, and we tell you how that community takes payments. If anything doesn’t match, we stop and check. It’s free to you, and your rent is the same either way. See it on the board Every new building priced on net effective, required fees, and year two, pulled every morning. Open the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Why it goes wrong ## Why the advertised price isn't what you'll pay Problem 1 ### Specials don't compare 10.8 weeks free was the board median on Oct 25, 2026. On 12 months that is about 21% off base, spread across the year. Problem 2 ### Fees sit outside the rent Required fees ran $78-$228 a month at 12 board buildings (median $120.50), about $1,446 a year outside headline rent. Problem 3 ### Year two jumps Renewals price from base rent. At the median special, year two is about 26% higher at the same base. So we show net effective, true monthly, and year two on every building before you tour. Straight answers ## Questions about this topic Direct answer first, then the source and date. If your question isn't here, ask us on the form or by text. ### Should I pay a deposit before touring? No. Pay only through the property's official portal or leasing office after you've verified the unit and the office, ideally after a tour or live video walk of the actual unit. ### How do I check a Texas agent's license? Search the Texas Real Estate Commission license lookup by name or license number. Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC's brokerage license is TREC #562021. ### What should I do if I think I've been scammed? Contact your bank or payment app right away, report the listing to the platform, and file reports with local police and the FTC. Keep screenshots of the listing and messages. ### Can you guarantee a price or approval? No. We verify the community and terms before you sign, and the community sets price and approval. Keep reading ## More guides on this topic ![Real new apartment living room with floor-to-ceiling glass and oak floors](/images/featured/real-new-apartment-living-room-with-floor-to-ceili.webp) ### Renderings vs. the Real Unit: What a New-Build Listing Doesn't Show Renderings, model units, and your actual unit differ on view, floor, and finish. What to ask for before you sign, and how a live video walk helps. [Renderings vs. the Real Unit: What a New-Build Listing Doesn't Show →](/guides/renderings-vs-real-unit/) ![Phone on a tripod filming a walkthrough of a sunlit new apartment living room](/images/featured/phone-on-a-tripod-filming-a-walkthrough-of-a-sunli.webp) ### Leasing a New Apartment Remotely: Video Walks and Sight-Unseen Leases Live video walk of the actual unit, a written fee sheet, e-signing addenda, and scam checks for leasing a new Austin apartment from out of town. [Leasing a New Apartment Remotely: Video Walks and Sight-Unseen Leases →](/guides/lease-apartment-sight-unseen/) The 60-second form ## Tell us what you need. We make the calls. You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do, and confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours. 1. 1 Same day We call or text during hours with a shortlist plan. 2. 2 In writing Unit, special, end date, and fee sheet confirmed before you tour. 3. 3 Year two shown Every pick shows year two at 0% and +3%, plus a 24-month total. Prefer to talk? Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) , Mon-Fri 8 AM-8 PM · Sat 9 AM-6 PM · Sun 12-5 PM. Free, same day during hours ## Get my shortlist Step 1 of 3 ### Thanks, we have your details. We'll call or text the same day during hours with your shortlist plan. Related pages ## Related board views Board view ### New Build Board Every in-scope community on one map, with base rent, the special, net effective, true monthly, and year two pulled every morning. Open New Build Board→ [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Board view ### Specials Specials confirmed within the last 7 days, each decoded to net effective and year two, with base rent shown beside every discount. Open Specials→ [/apartment-specials/ →](/apartment-specials/) Board view ### Lease-Ups Buildings already open and filling, sorted by stage and fill estimate, with what's finished and what the special does to your monthly cost. Open Lease-Ups→ [/lease-up-apartments/ →](/lease-up-apartments/) ![](/images/misc/dusk-view-of-new-limestone-and-glass-apartment-tow.webp) Free to you, and your rent is the same either way ## You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do. Send us your move date and all-in budget. We confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours, then show you year two before you tour. Get my shortlist → [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.