Requiring Verification?

Zachary0
Level 1
Atlanta, GA

Requiring Verification?

Do most hosts require verification of your guests? If so, do you think it turns people away from your listing when you're asking them to provide gov't ID's? Any feedback here is greatly appreciated.

111 Replies 111

@Gene93 I understand your concern about your data but as a host who hands over my keys to my home I simply need to know that the person is verified and is who he says he is. Otherwise you could open up an account with a fake name and get access to my home. If you get a bad review you could just open up a new account if you didn't have to verify yourself. I don't accept unverified guests.

Best, Sandra 

Because you are a random person going into someone else's house, and should something happen they want a track record of who was there. When you check into a hotel, you are also frequently asked for ID. 


This procedure is preventative for many things, including prevention of human trafficking. 

 

I was obligated to upload my ID as a host so I see no reason why guests shouldnt do the same. 

Every country is different.  Where I rent, it is REQURIED by law in that country to issue and even have a copy of the ID to rent or operate any tourist oriented business.  This is so the police have a record if illegal activy happens on the property.  As a renter, there is no way I am going ot lease, rent or let people in my property without some form of them presenting ID.  Illgeal activity aside, which is a HUGE liability for property owners, is the fact that personal property can be broken or stolen.  Also there is the need to protect and respect neighbor's property and quality of life.  If police are called or someone accidentally damges neighbor's property there is a legal documentation that will be required by most police jurisdictions.  keep in mind...this is NO different than hotels or hostels requirng passport or gov. issued ID.  And, I take it you have not traveled to foreign countries, as MOST REQUIRE ID by law, before anyone can rent or stay in a tourist operated business.   

Hi Mark. Do you require only theperson making the reservation or for all guests?

The problem I have as an AirBnB host is that when there is sufficient injury or damage to justify taking an individual to court Air BnB will not provide civil authorities nor personal attornies the contact information to serve. 

Which is pretty much a license to kill.  Most people are great.  However a uest should be entitled to file against people that willfully do major damage in court.  Air Bnb Denies this ithout suing AirBnB which again is lenghty and costly. 

We don't have access to your ID. We can't see it. 

My host just asked me to take a photo of my and wife's driver license and send them to her personal email. She will definitely have access to ours.

I just tried to book a place too asking for way too much personal information that can be hacked ..Is there any rentals out there t

hat don't require it? For Gods sake you have my credit/debit card number and that should be sufficient! 

@Catherine2627  Hosts do not have your credit card information. The info you upload to your account is seen by Airbnb, but not the host. Hosts have zero information about a guest other than seeing it posted that you have uploaded verified ID, an email address and a phone number. But hosts don't see your ID, your email address or your phone number and even after a booking is confirmed, only the guest's phone number is shown, as the host's is to the guest.

 

As a new user with no reviews for hosts to go on, most hosts will want to see that you have uploaded verified ID to the Airbnb site (again, hosts do not see the actual info, just that you have been verified) and it is to your advantage to fill out some profile info- a short paragraph about yourself, so hosts can get a sense of who they are renting to.

 

What is the personal information the host was asking you for?

I was asked by the web site for  a copy of my license, passport  and pictures of all guests for step 1 even before seeing the rental address. Not ever going to happen ..this is how identities are stolen this is a very poor policy. Furthermore... the address of the rental should be posted so anyone can see if they are going to a crime filled ghetto 

My verified ID should was my  payment was in full! I'm guessing you've never been a victim of stolen identity to understand this. 

All the hosts on here are missing the same point.

As a guest I don’t have any problem with showing my ID to a host or hotel.

That is very different from having a picture of my ID stored online.

 

A picture of your ID with dob, and address is about all you need to open bank accounts take out loans etc

 

Once that photo is online I have no control of it and I would have to trust air bnb not to let it fall into the wrong hands. Plenty of much more tech savvy company’s than them have been hacked. 

 

No problem presenting my ID to a host but would not book with one who required me to put a picture of it online and would encourage others not to do so either

William, in Canada I am required to produce government photo ID to create a bank account and more.

 

My guests have this plus social media contact plus a history of positive reviews plus online proof you're linked to who you say you are. 

 

I live here. I am responsible to my family, my other guests, my insurer and myself. It's a much greater threat to me than a security crash. I can change accounts. I cannot change a human life.

That's just incorrect. There is no law in Canada or Ontario that either demands or allows you to collect downloadable confidential information without data collection and usage policy as well as limiting use, declaring retention duration and having data security protocols in place. Each violation is subject to a fine of up to $100000. Do you think you are more responsible to your insurer than you are to federal law? This isn't 1960, data security is an actual issue.

 

You don’t need to provide social security numbers anymore for bank accounts and loans?