Avoid rental scams in Heraklion: the checks to make before you pay

To avoid rental scams in Heraklion when you are renting from abroad, do not send any money until four things are in place: you have seen the flat on a live video call, you know the name of the person you are dealing with, you have a written contract, and you are paying by bank transfer to an account in that person’s name. Each of these is easy for a real landlord and awkward for someone who has no flat to rent.

Last checked: 28 September 2026.

We own and run thirteen furnished flats near the Hellenic Mediterranean University, and most of our tenants stay for one Erasmus semester, which usually means arranging everything from another country. This is the list we would give a friend. It applies to any flat in the city, including ours.

Rental scam warning signs in Heraklion

None of these proves a scam on its own. Two or three together are a reason to stop and check before you go any further.

A price far below what the market shows

Compare any listing with published averages. They are crowd-sourced or reported, so treat them as a rough guide rather than a price list.

What	Average	Source and date
One-bedroom flat, city centre	€563.78 a month	Numbeo, updated 28 Aug 2026
One-bedroom flat, outside the centre	€437.33 a month	Numbeo, updated 28 Aug 2026
Room	€500 a month	Erasmus Play, updated 16 Feb 2026
Studio	€661 a month	Erasmus Play, updated 16 Feb 2026
Shared room	€250 a month	Erasmus Play, updated 16 Feb 2026

A listing a little under these figures is normal: a small studio will cost less than a large one. What deserves a second look is a spacious, well-photographed flat at half the going rate, especially when it comes with a story about why the owner cannot show it in person. For a fuller picture of what things cost here, see our cost of living guide for students in Heraklion.

Pressure to pay quickly

“Three other students want it, send the deposit today” is the oldest line there is. A real landlord may well have other interest in a flat, but will still give you the time to see it on video and read a contract. If you are told there is no time for either, that tells you something.

Much of the pressure goes away if you start early. Our guide on when to start looking for accommodation in Heraklion covers the timing for 2026-27.

A listing you have seen before

A copied listing can reuse real photos under a different name, price or address. Two quick checks:

• Run the main photos through a reverse image search and see whether they appear elsewhere under another name or address.
• Ask for one new photo or a short clip of something specific, taken today: the view from a particular window, the building’s front door with its number.

A payment method that is not a bank transfer

Since 1 April 2026, rent in Greece must be paid by bank transfer to the landlord’s declared account, under Law 5222/2025 (To Vima, Greek City Times). The reported consequences of not doing so are on the tax side: the landlord loses a deduction and the tenant may lose eligibility for some benefits.

So if you are asked to send a first payment through a money-transfer service, in gift cards, in cryptocurrency or to a third person “who handles the keys”, treat that as a stop sign, not a detail.

How to check a landlord in Greece before you pay

A live video tour, on your terms

When you are arriving from abroad, you often cannot view a flat in person. A live video call is the closest you will get to a viewing, and it is only useful if you direct it. Ask the person to:

• start outside, show the street and the building entrance with its number, then walk in;
• open the windows and show the view, so you can match it to the listing photos;
• turn on a tap, open the fridge, show the bed and the bathroom;
• show the things the listing promises, such as a lift, a balcony or parking.

Then look up the address on a map and check that the street matches what you saw. A pre-recorded video is fine as extra material, but it is not a substitute for a live call.

Know who you are dealing with

Get the full name of the person who will sign the contract, and ask whether they own the flat or are acting for the owner. There are real agencies in Heraklion; ESN UoC notes that renting through one often means paying three rents upfront, two to the landlord and one to the agency. That is a known cost, not a scam, but you should know which arrangement you are in.

The name on the contract and the name on the bank account you pay should match. If they do not, ask why, and get the answer in writing.

The tax side gives you one more check. A residential lease is declared electronically to AADE, the Greek tax authority, and needs both parties’ tax numbers (AFM); the tenant then confirms the declaration from their own account (AADE). Non-residents can apply for an AFM remotely. A landlord who wants none of this, and no paperwork at all, is asking you to take the whole risk yourself. Our guide to AFM, deposit and rent in Heraklion walks through the steps.

A written contract before any money

Ask for the contract before you pay anything, in a language you can read. Check that it names both parties, the full address of the flat, the monthly rent, what the rent includes, the start date and the deposit. If the person will only send a contract after you have paid, do not pay.

Know what normal looks like

It helps to know what a real deal usually asks for, so you can see when something is off:

Arrangement	What you usually pay upfront	Source
Typical, as the University of Crete describes it	One month’s rent plus a deposit of the same amount	University of Crete Erasmus page
Renting through an agency	Often three rents: two to the landlord, one to the agency	ESN UoC

The same University of Crete page notes that rent usually excludes electricity, water and phone, and that furnished flats usually come without bed linen or towels. If a cheap listing turns out to need all of those on top, the price comparison changes.

A note for Erasmus students

The University of Crete states that it does not provide accommodation for Erasmus students (UoC fact sheet 2026-27), so incoming students arrange their own. If you are unsure about a listing, the local ESN sections are a good place to ask: ESN UoC at Voutes and ESN Hellenic Mediterranean University at Estavromenos.

How we handle it

We would rather you checked us than trusted us, so here is what you can check.

• We are the owners. We run the buildings ourselves; we are not an agency or a platform, and there is no agency fee. More about us on the about page.
• Our addresses are public. Agathangelou Papadaki 2, opposite the Estavromenos church, and Profiti Ilia 7 (postcode 714 10). Look them up before we ever speak.
• You get a video walk-through before you commit. Ask us to show you anything on the list above.
• You get a written contract in English.
• There is no online payment on the site. Nothing on our site asks for card details.
• Our prices are published. Every home has its own page with its rent, from €400 a month for the top-floor studio to €1,200 for the renovated three-bedroom, which works out at €400 each if you share it three ways. Bills are included, with the detail on each home’s page.

If someone sends you one of our flats under another name, another address or another price, that is not us. You can compare it with the real page for every home on our homes page.

Before you send anything

Take the four checks with you to every listing: a live video tour, a name you can verify, a written contract, and a bank transfer to an account in that name. A real landlord will not mind any of them.

If you would like to see one of our homes on video, send us a request and tell us your dates.