No, I don't mean just relying and trusting airbnb in checking guest's ID, I mean mentioning in your house rules that YOU, the host, not airbnb, will be asking for the guest's ID after the booking.
Why?
1st because it's your most legitimate right to know who is staying at your place. The relationship between the host and the guest is not just about a few hundred bucks for a couple nights stay. There are safety and trust involved. Both the material and the emotional value of the house you let the guest in is in noway comparable to those few hundred bucks. Materially, at least here in California, properties are $1M or more each. Emotionally, we all know what we put in setting up a house, even those we don't live in as our primary residence.
2nd because Airbnb can't be trusted as a reliable insruance , in case of damages or issues. If you have doubts on that, read my very own recent experience here:
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Abuse-of-dominance-Airbnb-bullies-hosts/m-p/1017120#M252...
And it's well known that airbnb's security deposit is a joke:
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Security-deposit-is-a-total-JOKE/td-p/43673
3rd, in case of issues, Airbnb will never reveal that ID to you anyway. So they don't cover you if the guest trashes your house and they won't help you to go after a bad guest. So what's the point? As a host what's the benefit for you that airbnb has their ID especially as we all know who they side with in case of issues.
4th, airbnb's automated ID checking tool is not even working. It's another airbnb joke. Try creating a new guest account with a new John Doe email and someone else's ID and see what happens. (I'm not saying I did, just a hint).
5th, and this is the most important reason: guest who gives you their ID, is going to be a more responsible guest than the one who does not. A bad guest who intends to party or trash your house won't give you their ID and you don't want them in your house. Beware of someone who wants to enter your very own house, and does not understand that it's your basic right, at a minimum, to know who they truly are.
Now you may think there are downsides to it:
1) Guests will refuse booking or refuse sending their ID after booking: I have been doing this since 4 years. It's written clearly in my house rules, and I have a saved message asking for ID sent out immediately after a booking in a nice message. I have 85% occupancy rate average in the year (could do better if I wanted to reduce the price in low season but I don't. Maybe in another post will explain why if needed). I can tell you less than 3% of guests have a problem with this and I happily ask them to cancel with no penalty. Very rare. But good thing. I don't want those 3% in my house and neither should you.
2) In the unlikely case there is an issue and a guest takes your request to Airbnb and complains, the airbnb rep will tell you that despite I have written this in my rules, airbnb doesn't "support" this, meaning that if my requirement leads to a cancelation, that can be considered as a host cancelation. Well, if you accept to refund even a last minute cancellation in full, all guests accept to initiate the cancellation, so you don't get penalized.
It's YOUR house, it should be YOUR rules. There is a reason hotels ask for ID and all those hotels I have tried in the past few years get a copy and keep in records (not just viewing it). If there is an issue, airbnb has nothing to lose, you are the one to lose it all, so don't get into the "super host" game that airbnb is succesfully playing with you. I have been there and been super host and lost it and gained it again and lost it and I can tell you, when you have a good property with fair reviews (no guest needs 5 star average, anywhere above 4.5 average is great) and a fair price, you get booked (4 years experience with several propertiess talks).
I have learned not to be an airbnb slave manipulated by their superhost logo and rules, and use the platform as what it is: a marketplace connecting hosts to guests. They don't have to dictate us their policy or rules. VRBO and others respect that, not the bully airbnb.
