A Coral Gables, Miami apartment was advertised on TikTok at $1,000 a month but was actually listed for $3,100.
Right now, a renter searching TikTok for a Miami apartment is more likely to find a scam than a real listing.
CNC Intelligence, a digital forensics firm, analyzed 211 Miami rental listings on the platform and found 55% of them carried scam warning signs. Miami was used as it’s one of the largest rental markets in Florida.
The study looked at 3,141 listings in total across 16 U.S. cities, checking each one against things like local rent benchmarks, property records and the phone numbers advertised in the video. Listings carrying strong or several warning signs were marked as suspicious.
Key findings for Florida:
55% of TikTok rental ads for Miami properties carried scam warning signs. Warning signs included advertised rent well below the average for the area and out-of-area phone numbers.
CNC matched suspicious listings to a property record, 67% contradicted it outright. Homes advertised for rent that were actually for sale, a bedroom count that did not match, or a home already on the rental market at a much higher price.
63% of the suspicious listings were advertised at less than half what the property should rent for. 78% of them gave an out-of-area phone number.
Another example was a three-bedroom in Miami Gardens advertised at $1,100 a month. The same property was on the rental market at $3,230.
CNC contacted one listing from the study in an attempt to arrange a viewing, and were asked to pay $60 and fill out an application form before we could make an appointment.
“Real estate is a popular avenue for scammers because moving is stressful. People can often find themselves with very little time, on a tight budget, and they’re worried about ending up with nowhere to live,” said Matthew Stern, CEO of CNC Intelligence.
