Daily Rentals in Hurghada and Cairo, How to Avoid Scammers

Why daily rentals attract more scams

A flat for a few days is usually booked from afar, based on photos and messages. You do not see the owner or the flat, and time is short. Scammers use exactly this: all they need are nice photos and a request for a «booking fee».

The second common problem is not outright fraud but a dispute at check-out. The owner keeps the deposit for a scratch or a fault that was there before you. Below we look at how to protect yourself in both cases.

Common scams

• A flat that is not theirs. Photos are taken from other websites, the price is set well below the market and a prepayment is requested. After the transfer the «owner» disappears.
• An urgent booking. You are rushed: «three more people want these dates, transfer today». The rush is meant to stop you from checking anything.
• A switch on arrival. You arrive and the flat is suddenly «occupied» or «flooded», and you are offered another one, worse and more expensive.
• Paying outside the platform. A host from Airbnb or Booking asks you to pay directly in exchange for a discount. Airbnb warns clearly that if you pay outside the platform, you lose its protection.
• A fake middleman. A person rents out a flat they have no right to manage and takes money from several guests at once.
• Hidden charges. After check-in, extra payments appear for electricity, cleaning, the pool or the beach that nobody mentioned.

How to check the owner and the flat before paying

• Run the photos through a reverse image search (Google Lens or Yandex Images). If the same pictures appear in listings in another city or country, it is a scam.
• Ask for a video call from inside the flat. Let the owner show the building entrance, the view from the window, the kitchen and the bathroom, not just a nice living room.
• Check the address on a map and see what is nearby: the sea, shops, the way to your university or work.
• Find out the name of the owner and compare it with the name of the payment recipient. If you are asked to send money to a «friend» or an «accountant», be careful.
• Search the phone number and the username in Telegram chats of your city and ask whether anyone has stayed with this owner.
• Ask a middleman on whose behalf they rent out the flat. A real owner can show a document for the flat, and a middleman an agreement with the owner.
• Ask whether the flat has a short-term rental licence from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Since 2025 such a licence has been mandatory for daily rentals and must be renewed every year. A missing licence does not mean a scam, but having one shows that the owner works officially. The rules are new, so check them on the website of the ministry.
• Compare the price with similar places nearby. A very cheap flat in a good location is almost always a reason for suspicion.

Prepayment and deposit, how to pay safely

If you book through Airbnb or Booking, pay only inside the service and keep the conversation there too. Then you have somewhere to turn if something goes wrong.

If you deal with the owner directly, it is best to pay at check-in, when you can see the flat and hold the keys. If a booking fee is unavoidable, send only a small part of the amount and only after checking. Remember that money sent to a stranger by transfer or through an e-wallet is almost impossible to get back.

The deposit is usually returned at check-out after the flat has been inspected. Agree in advance on the amount, what it can be kept for and when exactly the money will be returned. For every payment ask for a receipt or a confirmation in the chat with the amount and the date.

What to put in the agreement or chat

Even for a few days, ask for a short agreement or at least a clear confirmation in the chat. It should include the following.

• The address, check-in and check-out dates, arrival time and number of guests.
• The price per night and for the whole stay, the currency and when to pay.
• What is included in the price: electricity, water, internet, cleaning, bed linen, the pool or the beach.
• The deposit amount, what it can be kept for and when it will be returned.
• Cancellation terms and what happens to the prepayment if plans change.

What to photograph at check-in

Spend the first ten minutes in the flat taking photos and videos. This is the best protection for your deposit. Send the pictures to the owner in the chat right away, so the message has a date and time. Film the flat again when you leave.

• A general video of every room, including the balcony, bathroom and kitchen.
• All damage in close-up: scratches on furniture, stains on the sofa and mattress, chipped tiles, cracks.
• Appliances while running: air conditioners, water heater, fridge, cooker, washing machine, TV.
• Plumbing: check for leaks under the sink and around the toilet, and whether there is hot water.
• The electricity meter and its balance, if electricity is paid separately.
• Keys, remote controls and cards for the entrance, pool or beach.

Hurghada and Cairo specifics

In Hurghada many daily rentals are in compounds with a pool. Ask whether access to the beach and pool is included in the price, whether you need a wristband or a guest card and whether the compound charges a separate fee. In summer, test every air conditioner before you pay. Read about the districts of the city in our article life in Hurghada.

In Cairo, students and newcomers often rent by the day while they look for a long-term home. Choose a flat close to your future university or work, so you can get to know the area at the same time. How to rent a flat for months afterwards is explained in how to rent a flat in Cairo.

If you have been scammed

• Keep the chat, the listing, the phone numbers and the transfer receipts. Do not delete anything.
• Contact your bank or e-wallet immediately and ask them to stop the transfer, sometimes this works.
• File a report. The Egyptian Interior Ministry takes reports of online fraud on its hotline 108, and the tourist police answer on 126.
• If you booked through a service, write to its support team and report the listing.

How to find a daily rental on Tullab

Flats for a few days from owners and fellow expats are collected in the daily rentals section. You can call the author or message them on Telegram, and flag a suspicious listing with the «Report» button.

Found nothing suitable? Post a request in the wanted to rent section with the city, dates and budget. Posting a listing is free, and owners will contact you themselves.