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Two days before Sarah North was due to move into her London Bridge flat, she got a message from her landlord. His father had died. She would have to find somewhere else to live.
“He was giving breakdowns of what his actions were — he’s got to see the solicitor, he’s got to see the funeral director and he’s making arrangements,” North told the BBC.
She later discovered she was not the only person left in the lurch at the last minute — after handing over a deposit — by the same man: Freddie Priestley.
“He was giving such detailed dialogue, it’s like this is all lies,” North said. She ended up sleeping on a duvet in a family member’s empty rental flat while searching desperately for somewhere to live. Her deposit was not returned.
Table of Contents
How Priestley Operated {#how-operated}
Priestley’s method followed a consistent pattern. He posted on Facebook housing pages advertising a flat he presented as available for rent. The price was attractive — low enough to create urgency. He created a sense of connection with prospective tenants, discussing life as flatmates, making promises about shared activities. He sent documentation — gas certificates, household bills, a driving licence linked to the address.
He rushed the process. Viewings were conducted quickly, often over video call. Agreements were signed and deposits paid the same day.
Then, shortly before the move-in date, his father would die. The flat was no longer available. The deposit would be returned — eventually, he said. It never was.
The Victims {#the-victims}
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Deryn Harris, 27, had moved from California to London for a master’s degree. She had posted on Facebook looking for a room. Priestley responded. The flat was in London zone one, the rent was £1,050 per month including bills — low for the area. She signed and paid the same day.
“It all took place within a couple of hours,” she said. When she tried to back out, Priestley assured her the deposit would be returned. Weeks passed. He blamed bank holidays, international transfer systems, every delay with a plausible-sounding reason.
“It was a gradual losing of hope,” Harris told the BBC. “I totally knew that at this point it was most likely a scam. I just didn’t want to fully admit that to myself.”
Australian Andy Hu visited the flat in person. He felt a genuine rapport with Priestley. Priestley talked about watching rugby together, about future plans as flatmates. Hu checked Priestley’s social media — the account dated back to 2008. He convinced himself this was a real person with real intentions.
“I thought, this is the perfect flatmate,” Hu said.
Once the contract was signed and the deposit paid, Priestley began avoiding meetings. His father was unwell. Then his father died. The flat was no longer available.
When Hu grew suspicious and contacted the Deposit Protection Service to verify his receipt, the service told him it was not genuine.
“I think that was probably the lowest point of my life,” Hu said. He was in London with no deposit money and nowhere to live.
How One Victim Figured It Out {#figured-out}
Harris eventually posted a warning on Facebook. The response revealed others who claimed to have had identical experiences with Priestley.
The BBC spoke to four additional people who said they lost more than £6,000 between them in the same scam. One was an international student who spent a week in a hostel after being left without accommodation at the last minute.
“I could barely sleep at all,” she said. “I had to force myself to eat sometimes, I just had no appetite, because I was so anxious about not having housing in a new country by myself.”
The Scale of the Problem {#scale}
According to Report Fraud — a fraud reporting service — 4,441 cases of rental scams were reported in the past year across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. People aged between 20 and 29 were the most likely victims.
Nye Jones of Generation Rent, a campaign group for private renters, told the BBC: “What we’re seeing is there’s less affordable homes for people to rent. More people are getting sucked in by the scammers offering prices that are too good to be true.”
What the BBC Found {#bbc-found}
In an email to one victim, Priestley admitted the flat was never available for rent and that he had taken their money due to a gambling addiction. He said he eventually wanted to return the money.
The Metropolitan Police told the BBC it had received “multiple reports of alleged rental fraud” involving Priestley between July and October 2025. He was arrested on suspicion of fraud and released pending further inquiries. The matter remains under investigation.
Facebook said it does not allow fraudulent activity and works “closely with law enforcement to support investigations.”
The Deposit Protection Service, when contacted about Hu’s case, said it monitors for irregular activity and suspends accounts where evidence of non-payment exists. However, it noted there is “currently no mechanism inside the current legislation to check a landlord’s credentials.”
How to Protect Yourself {#protect-yourself}
Rental scams in London follow recognisable patterns. Here is what to look for:
Price below market rate for the area. Priestley’s £1,050 for a zone one flat including bills was conspicuously low. If the price makes you think “I can’t believe this is available,” that is worth examining.
Urgency to sign and pay the same day. Legitimate landlords do not require deposits within hours of a first viewing. Pressure to commit immediately is a red flag.
Video-only viewings. Always insist on visiting the property in person before paying anything. If the landlord provides reasons why an in-person viewing is difficult, that is itself a warning sign.
Verify deposit protection. By law, landlords in the UK must place deposits in a government-approved scheme within 30 days. You can check this directly. If the receipt looks unusual — contact the scheme to verify.
Check the Land Registry. The property at the centre of Priestley’s scam showed his father as the registered owner. Harris checked — but the flat appeared legitimate based on that check alone. Cross-reference with other verification.
Never send money before an in-person visit. This is the single most effective protection against deposit scams.
Jones noted that the incoming Renters’ Rights Act includes a provision making it illegal for landlords to request large sums of rent in advance. “If someone is asking you for two or three months’ rent in advance, that would be illegal” from May 2026 — which removes one mechanism scammers use to maximise their take.
Final Thought
Freddie Priestley’s victims were not careless. They were careful. They checked social media accounts. They verified land registry records. They looked for gas certificates. He had answers for everything — because the scam was designed to work on careful people.
The systemic problem, as Generation Rent identified, is supply. When affordable housing is scarce and demand is high, people make quick decisions out of fear of losing the flat. That fear is what scammers sell.
The solution is not to be less trusting. It is to know exactly which steps no legitimate landlord will ever skip — and to treat skipping them as the scam it is.
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