Well written overview of the situation Laura.
Important to have the ID s and photo in place especially if your hosting situation is in your own home.
You say that you ask for ID after people book- I understand that they pay the fee when they book... does that mean if they do not comply there is difficulty for them to get their fee back from Airbnb? But sounds to me like a good idea.
I am instant Book and am currently awaiting a response for two good future bookings requests with no reviews and no ID or photo.
I had an insident recently where someone booked a third party.. guests turned up different names from the booker, not a nice thing to happen.
Something a bit wrong with Airbnb officially declaring that they uphold host security but people can INSTANT BOOK without any ID! It puts you in a role of having to explain every time.
i would appreciate a response to the my query about the request for ID AFTER booking! Sheila