How do I check that someone actually owns the property they're renting out?

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Look up the address in your county's property records, usually kept by the assessor, appraiser or recorder of deeds, and compare the owner's name with the person you're dealing with. If a company owns or manages it, contact that company through its own website or office, not through the details in the listing. Search the county property records online. Most counties let you search by address for free and show the owner of record. If the owner is an LLC, search your state's business registry, usually run by the Secretary of State, to see who is behind it. Ask to see the person's ID and a document linking them to the property, such as a property tax statement or utility bill, and check the names match. For a management company, find its phone number yourself and call to confirm the unit is available and that the person works there. Search the address online to see whether someone else has it listed for sale or rent. There can be good reasons the names differ, such as a tenant subletting with permission or a relative managing a parent's home. In that case, ask for the lease or the owner's written permission, and confirm it with the owner directly. A lease document on its own proves nothing. Scammers download real lease templates and fill them in. What matters is whether the person who signs it actually controls the property.

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