Can require my guests to provide me with ID/a personal photo before they arrive?

[Alex691]

Hello all,

I am thinking about requiring all future guests (they are staying in the other bedroom) to provide me with either a goverment photo ID of themselves and everyone staying with me, or at least a photo so I know who to expect.

I can not find a clear answer on AirBnb...am I allowed to require this?

And, if I am allowed to require it...should I? It obviously makes me feel more comfortable as the host knowing who is with me. And the guests may think twice knowing I have their ID/photo before doing something they should not.

Thoughts/Advice?

Thank you!

[Linda108]

@Alex691  There are many hosts that require government ID at the time of check in.  In some places it is a city/country requirement and the host has to keep records of the ID number. However, understandably a guest may not want to send the same to you prior to booking.  Air BNB asked that guests upload verification information.  For Instant Booking, I require government ID be uploaded.   Those guests that do not meet that qualification but have positive host reviews I usually accept as a guest.

I also ask guests to add a portrait picture to the profile if it does not exist.  Rarely is it a problem.  I did have one guest that did not want to do that so I told her to cancel and I have a strict cancellation policy.  She is upset about not getting a full refund, but I will refund if I rebook the dates.

I  think a host has the right to be comfortable with whomever is coming to their home.  I recall that when I first started a couple of years ago, my friends were concerned that I was a vulnerable single female.  So far I have had mostly lovely guests.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Alex691

Linda already said everything I would say too. We ask to see passports of all our guests, even children, bc we have to register them. I usually write down their personal informations and sometimes I just take a photo of their passports. Never had any problems with our guests because of that. It is also written in our house roules.

I would strongly advice  all hosts to do that and I am surprised how many hosts give  keys of their homes to total strangers. Even in case of a theft or something Airbnb is not allowed to give you guests personal informations so the only way to find out who is in your home is to ask them to show you their IDs. 

[Duje0]

as @Branka-and-Silvia0 mention here in Croatia, we must take a gues't id/pasport's/driving licence.
And fill their information on local server, so far in two year's i got no problem's about that.
Before taking information i ask my gusest can i take pictures or if they fell insecure i just write their information.

[David126]

I would mention it in your listing that you have a sign in book and ID will be checked on arrival.

[Kelly149]

@Alex691 my listings say that the reserving guest must send me govt ID (and sign a rental contract) and provide name/age/address/contact info for all adult guests & that all IDs may be confirmed in person at arrival.

Hopefully this is fussy enough to dissuade unsavory types, we don't always check the guest ID at arrival, just depends on how forthcoming they've been to that point.

One reason why I do this is that even if abb has seen a guest's ID they will never share it with you, even if there is a problem with your reservation. I'm giving people access to my home, I want to know that I actually know who they are.

Oh... and my house rules also say that their profile should be complete with ABB: About Me section, recognizable photo & Govt ID. I don't know that ABB actually does any kind of ID verification, but on the off chance that they are tracking people thru any kind of data bases, then I figure it is good for that info to be loaded there as well.