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Ideally, visit the property with the landlord and take a friend/friends with you -
Ask lots of questions about the property and the area it’s in (a genuine landlord should know the answers to these)
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Ask the landlord to verify their ID and to show you safety certificates such as for gas and electricity
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Research the property online to see it actually exists
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Check the landlord is the legal owner of the property using the Land Registry
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Landlords must be part of a tenancy deposit scheme (check which scheme a landlord is registered with)
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Use a credit card if possible, which will provide some level of protection through what is known as Section 75 and never hand over cash
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Only pay any money when you have seen a written contract and checked it
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Look for a landlord who is a member of a professional body such as the National Landlords Association (NLA) or Residential Landlords Association (RLA)
