Researched and published by LagosMove Senior Editor. Source note: this page draws on published host terms, platform payment policies and public guidance on payment fraud. It is not based on property inspections, and it does not describe any single case.
A shortlet booking in Lagos fails in one of two ways. The apartment never existed, or it exists and is not the one in the photos. Both are settled by the same habit: confirm who owns the unit and who receives the money before you transfer anything.
This page covers the checks, the red flags that show up in a chat, and the steps that still work after you have paid. For where to stay and what each area charges, read the guide to luxury shortlets in Lagos instead.
Key takeaways
- Most shortlet losses are a verification failure, not a clever fraud. Someone paid before confirming who owns the unit or who receives the money.
- Seven checks settle most of the risk. Exact unit, live walkthrough, account name, operator history, substitution terms, deposit terms, traceable payment.
- The account name is the fastest test. If the receiving name does not match the operator, ask for a written explanation before any transfer.
- Speed matters after a bad arrival. Message the host in writing, save the evidence, and call your bank’s fraud desk the same day.
- No scam counts appear here. We could not verify a reliable published figure for shortlet fraud in Lagos, so this page describes patterns instead of statistics.
Seven checks before you send money
Run these in order. Each one is cheap before payment and expensive afterwards.
- Confirm the exact unit, not the area. Ask for the building name, street and flat number in writing. An advert that says only Lekki or Ikoyi has not told you where you are staying.
- Ask for a live walkthrough. A two-minute video call inside the flat, on the day, tells you more than twenty photos. Ask the host to show the window view, the bathroom and the meter or inverter board.
- Match the account name to the operator. The receiving account should belong to the business or the person who sent the quote. A different name needs a written reason and a call to the number you already had.
- Check the operator exists beyond the advert. Look for a business name, a phone that answers, a page or website with months of history, and reviews that are not all from one week.
- Get the substitution clause. Ask what happens if that unit is unavailable on your dates. A promise of a similar apartment is a promise of a different apartment.
- Put the deposit terms in writing. Amount, who inspects the unit, what can be deducted, and how many days the refund takes after checkout.
- Pay the traceable way. A transfer to a business account, or a payment through a platform, leaves a record you can act on. Cash at a gate leaves you with a phone number and a story.
The red flags that appear before money moves
These five patterns recur in shortlet complaints. None of them proves fraud on its own. Each is a reason to slow down and ask for something written.
| Pattern | How it looks in the chat | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Account details change | The quote arrives, then the bank details change, often to a partner or a manager’s account | Stop. Call the number you already had and confirm in writing before sending anything |
| Price sits far under the area band | A flat in a premium area quoted well below what other adverts ask for the same street | Compare three adverts on that street, then ask why the rate is lower |
| Urgency | Two other guests want it today, pay now to hold it | Ask for a short holding window in writing. A real operator can hold a unit without pressure |
| Photos that belong elsewhere | Images that match a hotel, a show apartment or another city | Request the walkthrough. Compare the view outside the window with the address given |
| Address held back | The host gives the area only, promising the address after payment | Ask for the address and the estate gate name before paying any amount |
How to verify a unit before you fly in
If you are booking from outside Lagos, a short call replaces an inspection.
- Video call, not photos. Ask the host to walk from the front door to the bedroom without cutting. Record it.
- Check the address on a map. Confirm the building appears where the host says it is, and note the nearest landmark.
- Ask for the estate gate name. Gated estates in Lekki, Ikoyi and Ikeja GRA have named gates, and residents know them.
- Use one visit from someone you trust. A friend at the gate can confirm the building exists. That still does not confirm the flat inside is the one you booked.
If the listing claims round-the-clock power, test that claim like any other. Our guide to backup power in Lagos properties explains what generators and inverters can actually carry overnight.
When a low rate is the warning
A rate far below the area band is not proof of fraud, and it is not a bargain until you know why. Ask whether the price covers the whole stay, whether power and cleaning are included, and whether your dates are actually free.
Compare the number with real area ranges before you decide. The guide to what shortlets in Lagos cost by area sets out sampled asking rates for Lekki Phase 1 and Ikeja GRA, and the affordable shortlets guide covers lower mainland bands.
If the apartment is not there when you arrive
This is the moment that decides whether you recover anything. Work in this order.
- Send nothing more. Refuse any request for a balance, a release fee or a top-up to open the unit.
- Write it down in the chat. Message the host the address, the time and what you found. A written reply, or silence, becomes part of the record.
- Photograph where you are standing. The gate, the building number and the street sign, with the time visible where you can.
- Call your bank’s fraud desk the same day. Ask whether a recall is possible on the transfer. A recall is a request, not a promise, and the first hours matter most.
- Report it on the platform, if you used one. Open a resolution case with the messages and the payment record attached.
- Report it to the police and keep the reference. A report reference strengthens a bank recall and any platform claim.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission publishes guidance on banking and online account scams that covers the same warning signs: unexpected account changes, urgency and mismatched names. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is the federal consumer protection regulator, and takes complaints where a service paid for was not delivered.
If the unit exists but does not match the listing
A wrong flat is a harder case than a missing one, because the operator can argue you were housed. Your evidence is the listing you booked against.
- Photograph every mismatch: the missing air conditioner, the shared kitchen, the room count, the broken lock.
- Ask for the fix in writing, with a time. If the host offers another unit instead, say in writing that you accept it as a substitute, not as the booking.
- Read the check-in paperwork before you take the keys, and keep the copy you sign.
Properties in Lagos ask for ID at handover, whether shortlet or hotel. Our guide to check-in requirements in Nigeria covers what to expect at the desk and what to keep.
Getting a caution deposit back
The deposit is where most quiet disputes happen, because nobody photographs the flat on arrival. Do it yourself.
- Photograph or film the flat within the first hour, including any damage that was already there.
- Note the electricity meter reading, and the state of the linen if those are deposit items.
- Ask for the inspection and refund date in writing on the day you check out, not a week later.
If the refund date passes, follow up in the same message thread and keep it factual. A dated written request is stronger than a phone call nobody can produce later.
A message that gets the answers in writing
Copy this, fill the brackets, and send it to every host you are considering. Written replies are the point: they are what you show your bank or a platform later.
Hello, I am booking [dates] for [number of guests]. Before I pay, please confirm in writing:
1. The building name, street and flat number.
2. That the photos and video show this exact unit, and that it is free on my dates.
3. The account name I should transfer to, and how that account is linked to your business.
4. What happens if this unit is unavailable when I arrive.
5. The deposit amount, what can be deducted from it, and how many days the refund takes.
6. The total payable for my dates, including any cleaning, power or service charges.Please also send a short video call walkthrough before I pay. Thank you.
If two answers contradict each other across messages, treat that as a finding, not a detail. Ask which one applies and get it confirmed.
If you book through a platform
Keep the conversation and the payment inside the platform. Airbnb’s help article on paying for a reservation sets out how payment is handled on its own bookings. A host who asks you to move the payment to a personal account is asking you to give up the protection that comes with the booking.
The same rule applies to any other booking site you use. Read its payment terms before you reserve, and check whether the refund route runs through the platform or through the host alone.
Keep these records until the stay is over
- The listing as it looked on the day you booked, saved as a screenshot or PDF.
- The written quote, the substitution clause and the deposit terms.
- The payment receipt showing the receiving account name.
- The walkthrough video, the arrival photos and the meter reading.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know a Lagos shortlet is real?
You cannot know for certain from an advert. You can raise your confidence: get the flat number and estate gate name, take a live video walkthrough, confirm the receiving account name matches the operator, and check that the business has history beyond this listing.
Should I pay a shortlet deposit before arriving in Lagos?
Most operators expect it, so refusing outright often loses a good unit. Pay a deposit only after the seven checks are answered in writing, keep it small enough to lose without wrecking the trip, and pay into a named business account rather than a personal one with no explanation.
Can my bank reverse a shortlet transfer?
Ask, but do not count on it. A transfer you authorised yourself is harder to reverse than a card payment, and the outcome depends on how fast you report it and whether the receiving account still holds funds. Call the fraud desk the same day and keep the reference they give you.
What if the host says the flat is taken and offers another one?
Treat it as a new booking, not an upgrade. Ask for the address and photos of the replacement, confirm the price does not change, and put your acceptance in writing. If the replacement is worse, you are entitled to say so before you pay the balance.
Is a hotel safer than a shortlet in Lagos?
A hotel carries less payment risk because the desk, the brand and the card terminal all exist at one address. A shortlet can be cheaper for groups and longer stays. Compare the total cost for your dates, then decide how much verification you are willing to do. Rates and what they include are covered in the guide to luxury hotels in Lagos.
Do I need ID to check into a shortlet in Lagos?
Expect to show one. Most operators ask for a passport or national ID at handover, and some ask for a second guest’s details. Bring the document you booked with, and check our guide to check-in requirements in Nigeria before you travel.
The short version
Most shortlet problems are decided before payment, in a chat you can still control. Ask for the exact unit, watch a walkthrough, match the account name, and put the substitution and deposit terms in writing. If a detail matters to your trip, get it in a message, not a phone call.
Then choose a place you can get to and leave from easily. Our guide to choosing where to stay in Lagos compares the main areas, and the safest areas guide covers what to check around the address itself.
For the trip around the booking, budget with the Lagos trip budget guide, plan transfers with the airport travel guide, and read the guide to getting around Lagos before you agree to a location far from your appointments.