I just sold my house last year and i'm so happy about that but now i'm looking for an apartment to move into, I've only stayed in one apartment my whole and moved out of the apartment on good terms and had a house but sold it because I needed to stay on budget.

Well also early last year I filed for a divorce, but my son father have no where to move and asked if he could move with me for 4 months where ever I move and then he asked to be on the apartment lease.

so we found a nice apartment great area and in our budget range, well the landlord ask for money order for credit check with out doing application and wanted to copy our ids and ss# number, so we allowed him and then he said don't write the money order out to no one because I use different credit check companies.

Then a day later he calls us and tell us, that my son father had in eviction in 2004 (which that is untrue in 2004 we was still a couple and staying in our house) and my credit is not bad, but sorry he can't rent to us.

question did we get taken for a ride by this landlord and he pocket the money.

If so what should I do to protect myself against while person looking for an apartment.