How to Verify Past Landlord on application is not FAKE

[Vitaliy Merkulov]

When screening tenant, it's important to check landlord references. What's the best way to verify that the landlord listed on the application is really their past landlord and is not a fake landlord (applicant's friend, mother, or fake landlord reference service?)

I know a lot of people call the assessor's office or check the owner's information. This can become very time-consuming. 

Are you using any software or tool that allows you to check the owner of the property?