how do I know ad/landlord is legitimate?

[Sendosha]

I had posted a message on Craigs List looking for a room or apartment for rent and I got a reply from someone. They are offering an apartment that sounds too good to be true. The rent is cheap an it even allows pets. I am hoping to see it over the weekend. Well it's worth a look, right?

How do I know that this is not a scam? And the person offering the apartment really owns it?

Find the county website for the county the rental is located in. Look for a link to the tax auditor's site. Search the address and it will give you the name of the owner. Call him and check. This person may be the tenant and be looking to sublet, so run the contact person's name by the owner if they are not the same.

Additionally, read over anything you sign very well. Get everything in writing. If you don't plan to move in just yet, give only the deposit and get a receipt that says "security deposit" not "non-refundable" or "holding fee". If any of this is not correct, don't sign and just keep looking. Do some research on the area first too. It may be a high crime area or have traffic noise (or some other undesirable trait). Check heating & A/C systems, applicances, elcetric, etc. to be sure all work correctly while you look the place over.