Short lets in Lagos: how to avoid getting burned

Short lets are how Lagos hosts visitors now: December returnees, business travellers, families between homes. The market is real and mostly honest, but the scams are real too, and they all exploit the same thing: you pay before you see the apartment.

The four scams that actually happen

• The listing that does not exist. Photos lifted from another listing, a convincing chat, a transfer to secure the dates, then silence. The apartment was never theirs, or never existed.
• The double booking. The apartment exists and the host is real, but the same dates were sold twice. The guest who arrives second stands on the street, and refunds are a negotiation.
• The bait and switch. You booked the bright two-bedroom in the photos. You arrive at something smaller, darker, or in a different building entirely. Your money is already in, so you absorb it.
• The vanishing deposit. A caution deposit paid in cash or to a personal account, with reasons found later why it cannot come back.

Every one of these works because payment moves on trust, before anything is verified. So the fix is to verify first and protect the payment.

The checks that stop them

A short let is a one-off exposure, so TRE verifies the transaction itself. The TRE-Verified Stay mark covers one unit and its listing, and it means six checks passed:

• Real and as described. Inspected in person recently. The unit exists and matches the photos and the listing, which kills the fake listing and the bait and switch.
• Owner and right to let. The host's identity is confirmed and their authority to let the property is checked, which kills the listing that was never theirs to offer.
• Address and access. The real address and how you get in are confirmed before you travel, not on arrival.
• Honest price and terms. The nightly rate, any deposit and the house rules are stated plainly. No surprises at the door.
• Honest payment, agreed up front. The price and terms are confirmed before you pay, and you pay the host directly. TRE never takes custody of your funds; what protects you is that the unit, the host and the listing were verified and inspected before you ever saw them.
• Concierge support. A real person coordinates dates, arrival and any issue during the stay.

Each mark is dated, tied to one specific listing, and revocable. It never covers the host's other properties, and it is an assessment on the evidence, not a guarantee.

What to do with any short let, anywhere

Even off TRE, the same tests apply. Ask who owns the apartment and how the person letting it proves the right to let. Insist on a video call from inside the unit, on the day. Never pay into a personal account, never pay a viewing deposit, and be suspicious of any price that undercuts the street. If the answers get vague, the listing is telling you what it is.

Or skip the interrogation: every stay on TRE Stays already passed all six checks before it went live. Search short lets on the stays page, and confirm any mark on the register.