How to rent a flat in Yerevan without getting scammed

The most common schemes

• A “booking” prepayment: you are asked to transfer money to “hold” the apartment, and then they vanish.
• Someone else’s apartment: a scammer rents a place short-term and “lets” it to several people at once, collecting deposits.
• A price too good to be true: noticeably cheaper than similar flats in the same district, with magazine-style photos.
• An unauthorised middleman: someone poses as the owner or their representative but shows no documents.
• Hidden encumbrances: the apartment is mortgaged or under arrest, and the tenant isn’t told.

All these schemes have one thing in common: money is requested before you have made sure the person has the right to let that apartment.

Who has the right to let an apartment

Under Armenia’s Civil Code, the right to lease property belongs to its owner and to people authorised by law or by the owner (Article 609). So before paying, you need to be sure the person in front of you is one of them.

1. Ask for a passport and the title document or a Cadastre extract.
2. Check that the name on the passport matches the owner’s name in the extract.
3. If a representative is letting the flat, ask for a notarised power of attorney and check that it covers leasing the apartment.
4. If there are several owners, find out whether the others agree.

The Cadastre extract: what it shows

The Cadastre Committee issues a unified extract on a property. It shows the registered rights, restrictions such as a mortgage or an arrest, and the apartment’s characteristics. Anyone can apply, including online at e-cadastre.am after registering on the portal.

It is easier when the owner shows the extract upfront. On tuk-tuk, listings with a Cadastre extract carry the “Verified” badge — a good place to start your search.

A bank mortgage is not necessarily a reason to walk away. But the landlord must inform the tenant of third-party rights to the property; if they fail to do so, the tenant may demand a lower rent or termination of the lease and compensation for losses (Civil Code, Article 615).

Money only after the contract

• don’t send any prepayment before viewing the apartment
• view it in person, in daylight, and check that the key actually opens the door
• sign the contract before handing over money, not after
• pay rent and deposit by transfer to the owner’s account or against a receipt with passport details
• keep your messages, copies of documents and receipts

If the apartment is sold while you live there, the lease does not end: the new owner becomes the landlord on the same terms (Article 664). So a signed contract protects you in that situation too.

If you are searching from abroad

Many people start looking for a home before they move to Armenia. That is normal, but such tenants are exactly what scammers target: they can’t come to a viewing and are ready to transfer money “so as not to miss out”.

Ask the owner for a video call from the apartment itself: have them show the rooms, the view, the entrance and the Cadastre extract. If you know someone in Yerevan, ask them to go to the viewing. If not, book a short-term rental for your first days, see apartments in person and sign the contract once you are there.

Signs it’s time to walk away

• The owner is “abroad” and asks for a transfer, promising to send the keys
• They refuse to show documents or the extract
• The price is noticeably lower than for similar flats in the same area
• They rush you: “lots of people want it, decide right now”
• They ask you to pay to a third person’s card

Key takeaways

• Only the owner or someone authorised by them may let an apartment — check before paying.
• A Cadastre extract shows the owner, mortgages and arrests; it can be ordered online.
• Start your search with listings that carry the “Verified” badge.
• No prepayments before a viewing and a signed contract.
• A price far below market and pressure to hurry are the main danger signs.