Renting Sight Unseen from the States — Safely

Most of our tenants sign their lease while still in Texas, Georgia or Hawaii. Renting sight unseen is normal in the PCS world — and it's also where housing scams concentrate, because scammers know you can't knock on the door. Here's how to do it safely.

The verification ladder

Work down this list before any money moves:

1. Live video tour — not a pre-recorded video. A landlord walking through the apartment on FaceTime/Zoom, answering your questions and pointing the camera where you ask, proves they have keys and the place exists as advertised.
2. A 360° tour or detailed walkthrough video for re-watching with your spouse and checking details (outlets, closet space, that the "office" isn't a hallway).
3. Verifiable identity: a German business address, an imprint (Impressum) on the website, a landline, reviews from other military families — ideally a recommendation in the base Facebook groups or via the Housing Office.
4. A real, bilingual lease before any payment. No lease, no money. Ever.

Payment red flags

• Requests for deposits via gift cards, crypto, Western Union or "a friend's account." Hard stop.
• Pressure tactics: "three other families want it, wire today."
• Prices dramatically below market for the area — in Wiesbaden, a furnished 3BR near base for €900 all-in is not a deal, it's bait.
• A "landlord" who is conveniently abroad and can't do a live video call. Real landlords with real keys can always show the apartment live.

What safe remote booking looks like

The legitimate process feels boring, and that's the point: you tour live on video, you receive a bilingual lease with a military clause to read before paying, the deposit goes to a named German bank account matching the landlord on the contract, and you get a signed receipt. On arrival there's a documented move-in protocol (Übergabeprotokoll) with photos.

That's our standard process for every apartment on this platform — built so that booking from the States is exactly as safe as walking in off the street.