Journal
How we verify a landlord.
Marta Ionescu · 29 augusti 2026 · 2 min read
Every landlord who lists on Territorium goes through six checks before their first listing can go live. This is what each one is for.
1. Legal identity
We collect a national ID or passport, plus a proof of address, and match them against the person named on the property title deed or the rental management agreement. The check exists because the single most common way European rentals go wrong is the person you're paying not being the person who owns the flat.
2. Property title
For direct owners: we read the land registry entry and confirm the address, the room count, and that the person we verified in step 1 is on the deed. For managing agents: we read the rental management mandate, confirm the client-owner exists, and confirm the agent has authority to sign leases.
3. Bank account
The bank account that receives rent has to be in the same legal name as the verified identity. This is the check that stops the "we've been scammed" story that every European city has a version of.
4. Tax residence
We ask for a certificate of tax residence in the country where the property sits. This is not glamorous but it's the difference between a landlord who is filing correctly and a landlord who is going to disappear the moment your deposit is claimed.
5. Property photos on the ground
Not a virtual tour. A team member walks the property, takes reference photos, and confirms the room count and condition match the listing copy. In cities where we're not on the ground yet, we work with a verified local photographer who signs a chain-of-custody attestation.
6. Signature specimen
The landlord signs a specimen document, on our canvas signature pad, which becomes the reference the SHA-256 audit trail on the contract matches against. If the signature on a real contract diverges from the specimen, we stop the signing flow before it lands.
What we don't do
We don't verify a landlord's intentions. We can't. What we verify is that the person you're contracting with is real, is authorized to rent you the flat, and can be found again if something goes wrong.
We also don't verify tenants beyond identity + proof of income + a reference check. That asymmetry is intentional. The imbalance in a European lease sits with the tenant; our verification tilts back the other way.
If you're a landlord curious about how far along we are on your city, or how long the verification actually takes (five to seven working days, usually), tell us where you are and we'll write back.