1st time rental of private villa

hoping to do a family holiday next year ,may 2020...ive found a lovely villa,but never done this before and absolutely terrified of being scammed ive heard all the horror stories ...
you work so hard to save and then part with your money and it goes wrong ..how do you know they are who they say they are ?...how do you know the villa is even theirs ?
i envisage getting on the plane,getting in our hire car and turning up and nobody has a clue about this villa or person etc...(oh gosh i feel im being so dramatic now!)...but i hope someone understands ...we have to pay a deposit ,,so im just majorly panicking
please any advice is welcomed .

If you know the location (community) you can check ownership with the tax appraiser website. Also look for reviews from previous renters.

We've now had an email from you and hopefully replied with the reassurances you need. The owner concerned has one of the most popular villas on the site and we have many, many glowing reports from their guests.

If you have booked from this site you will be fine. The first time we booked a villa we used this site and are now returning for the 5 th time. I asked to speak to the owners directly and had a long chat with George who put my mind to rest. Now each time we book, I get the chance to chat with George or Pamela, they are full of useful information so I can pick there brains for ideas. I also follow their Facebook page so I can get ideas from others staying in the villa.