I have been renting my home for just a few months and for security reasons I ask all my guests to please file a government issued identification with AirB&B. I have noticed that all my guests are more then happy to do so however AirB&B is not making this process very easy for them and they have a lot of problems finding how to do this.
The only way that AirB&B makes this easily accessible is if the host selects the choice to allow everyone that initially filed a government issued i.d to be pre-approved for any rental without the host approval. Which I don't think is a good idea, personally I like to have a contact exchange about my guests this helps us both know a little about each other - it's a nice thing.
Since this is my home I'd like to know that our guests have had some sort of authentication that they are who they say they are, this brings me a sense of security and it's no different from what hotels require when one checks in.
Setting up an email address and setting up a facebook account which is all that AirB&B requires is by no means a safe verification of who the person really is.
If AirB&B really cares about the security of all hosts and guests, they really should make this process easier for everybody!
The fact that this has become such an issue makes one not want to participate in this process. I am curious about how other hosts feel about this issue and have to question why AirB&B is making this so hard?