Can I find out if a holiday rental is legitimate?

Go to through travel agency or search through the web. Try your luck with a specialise agency that promote or advertise a lot of holiday rental. They normally have feed back from customers and you will know whether the villa has a good reputation.

Anything in life is possible. Could be a bogus website.......did you cross check references? Check it out to see how other people rate it? Or did you just pick a place and random,and mail off your money? Many Hotels in Italy called themselves 3 stars or 4 stars.

I often assume they are either using a 100 star scale.......or are talking about what their rating was in 1920.

I booked a 3 star hotel once....and there was holes punched in the walls, with graffiti in the bathroom. Others of course, are everything they say they are.

It's hit and miss.

Yes, it is possible. What is the web site? Please provide the URL.