The answer is that it depends. It could be a good faith charge because the landlord wants to background check people before touring the unit to them. This is common for single female landlords for example as a safety precaution.

My guess is that they’re probably using it as a revenue tool though to compensate for their time. Not super ethical IMO but not a scam.

It could also be a scam. It’s not unreasonable to ask for proof of ownership first.

Either way, it’s up to you. Unfortunately there aren’t often many options and landlords know this.

Source: am landlord