Check who you're renting from

10 steps

Confirm who actually owns it

Ask to see the latest property tax receipt, khata, or a utility billIt should carry the owner's name, the simplest proof the person controls the flat.
Match that name to the person and the account you'll payMoney should reach the owner, not a friend or an agent's personal account.
If the person showing the flat isn't the owner, get proof they're allowed to rent itCaretakers and friends of the owner are where deposit scams tend to start.
For a society flat, check the share certificate or a maintenance receiptIt confirms the owner is on record with the society, not just claiming the flat.

Never pay a token in cash without a signed receiptA cash token with no paper is the hardest thing to recover.
Pay into an account in the owner's nameA traceable payment to the owner protects you if there is a dispute later.
Get the token terms in writingDeals fall through. You want your money back without an argument.
Don't hand over the full deposit before the agreement and the keysPaying everything up front removes your only leverage.

Insist on a written rental agreementA verbal deal protects no one, least of all the tenant.
Check the agreement matches the ownership documentsNames and addresses that don't line up are a red flag.