Help! I needhelp in verifying landlord's ownership of rental unit

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Scam Alert
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WARNING: Never send payment by WESTERN UNION or MONEYGRAM for any reason!
This includes:

Rental deposits
Loan fees
Job application or visa fees (No legitimate employer requires payment of any kind from a prospective employee)
Making a purchase
Or any other reason!
Sending or receiving payment by Western Union or MoneyGram is against our terms of use.

Anyone who asks for payment by Western Union or MoneyGram is a scammer.

Beware of anyone claiming to offer payment or escrow services from expatriates.com. Expatriates.com does not offer escrow services and is never involved in any payment transaction.

Be wary of deals that are "too good to be true".

Watch for landlords/owners who are out of the country, travelling or cannot meet you personally.

Please become familiar with the scams described on this page. If you have any questions or would like to report suspicious activity please send an email to contact@expatriates.com.

If you see a suspicious ad, please click on the "Prohibited" link at the bottom of the ad. If other people agree with you, the ad will be removed automatically.

Are you at risk to be scammed? Find out by taking this fraud test.

Check this site for the latest comprehensive list of scammer email addresses.
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Cashier's Check and Western Union Scams
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For Job Seekers:

Do not send payment to a prospective "employer" for any reason (e.g. visa or processing fees). A legitimate employer will not ask you for fees and you will lose any money you send.

Beware of any "job offers" that require you to act as a "payment intermediary." You will be asked to receive payments via cashier's check, keep some percentage as a "payment fee", and then to wire a lesser amount to a third-party. The cashier's check will be fake and you will lose the amount sent to the third-party.

For Buyers and Prospective Tenants:

A distant seller or owner asks for payment via Western Union or MoneyGram. After payment is sent using one of these services, the distant owner promises to send item or keys via Fed Ex, DHL or other delivery service however the items or keys never arrive.

The item or flat/apartment may seem to be "too good to be true"; the price is usually well below market value.

Never send payment via Western Union, MoneyGram or similar service to someone you do not know personally!

Do not use bank transfer to send money to a city other than your home or destination. For example, if you are from New York, traveling to Madrid, do not sent money to someone in Dublin, Ireland! If there is a problem, local authorities at home or at your destination will not be able to help you.

Please find below examples of Western Union scam messages sent to expatriates.com users.

For Sellers and Property Owners:

A distant buyer or prospective tenant sends a money order or cashier's checks that exceeds the actual price or rent.

The distant buyer or tenant requests that you forward the excess amount to a third party via Western Union, or MoneyGram. After initially accepting the check, your bank informs you several days later that the cashier's check is fake after you have wired funds to the third party.
This article by the Washington Post describes the fake Money Order scam.