Verify ID now required for all travelers?

Ramona11
Level 4
Naples, FL

Verify ID now required for all travelers?

Has anyone else run up against a requirement to use Verify ID no matter who you are booking with? For security reasons I do not with to keep my ocs on file and link my airbnb profile with my fb page. So I have not been able to book with any hosts now, and the hosts are not the ones imposing the requirement. as a Super Host myself, I think this is going to really hurt my business. Anyone know anything? Thanks!

490 Replies 490
Oscar753
Level 1
Dallas, TX

Don't do it.  Identify theft is certain. 

Oscar753
Level 1
Dallas, TX

I canceled a one-week stay because of this awfully invasive policy.  I have been using AirBnb for ten years.  No more.  

Mark3614
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

I've been with them for around 10 year as a host and even longer as a guest.  I will not be using them in future and I'm sure there's thousands of people who won't be either.

I have no issue with showing a host my ID on arrival or even sending a selfie of it, but I am getting sick and tired of the way that internet giants come up with new and innovative ways of trying to find out more about me than they need to (mostly so that they can waste my time with adverts).

 

Sayanora, AirBnB. And, to the many hosts out there - keep up the good work (but on a competitor's site, please...)

Andrea5188
Level 1
La Verne, CA

I too, am dismayed by this request to verify my identity.  Apparently, multiple bookings and stellar reviews aren’t enough anymore.   I would have no problem providing ID upon arrival -this is standard practice at hotels and while traveling abroad - but numerous Airbnb places I’ve stayed at had hosts that weren’t home and left instructions for entry.  
I’m not going to electronically submit ID to Airbnb - encryption or not.   So I guess this is the end of the road for me.

I’ve had wonderful experiences with all the places I’ve stayed: terrific hosts; quirky and cool rooms, apartments and trailers.  But if future hosts are that fearful, might I suggest they step away from being wanna-be innkeepers.   Airbnb you really need to rethink your policies.  Including allowing absentee hosts…

@Andrea5188  I don't use Instant Book (hosts only have the automatic option to require verified ID for IB bookings, although they can say in their listing info that they require guests to have it for requests as well) and I personally don't care at all if guests show verified ID on their accounts. If a guest has great reviews and communicates well with me when requesting to book, that's good enough for me. 

 

I've had wonderful guests in my home share listing, who have all understood what home-sharing is about- they use their real name, not something made up, they have profile photos that show their face, and most have taken the time to do a nice little profile write up. And they send friendly, polite, and informative messages along with their booking requests.

 

I couldn't care less if they submitted verified ID to Airbnb. Just because someone has a valid driver's licence or passport doesn't mean they're good people.

Dave1125
Level 2
Redlands, CA

So as a long-time user of ABB, I tried using it today.

 

Imagine my surprise when it demanded I scan and upload images of my passport or driver's license.

 

I worked in tech for three decades. **Nobody** can absolutely guarantee security on stored documents like that, and it's arrogant beyond measure that it's become a  basic requirement. And these particular docs, with photos, signatures, and birth dates, are an invitation to identity theft.

 

So. I just booked a hotel instead.  

 

Adios, AirBnB. It was good while it lasted. Congratulations for completely messing up what was a relatively good thing.

 

Oh, and I will be definitely contacting my local MP to ask how in God's name a company can demand this kind of ultra-intrusive and risky collection of personal information.  

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Dave1125 Have you ever considered that a host, especially in a home share situation, might want Airbnb to know the name of the guest turning up?

I guess not so you are probably better suited to a hotel.

@Mike-And-Jane0

I had exactly the same issue as @Dave1125  and @Andrea5188 when I just tried to book an AirBnB stay. This was despite the fact that I have already completed 18 stays in the last 18 months with positive reviews from every owner.

While I accept that some owners, as is their priviledge, may request validated ID before accepting a reservation, all owners, with whom I have booked, have been happy knowing their potential guest has already beeen "validated" by other owners - and as @Sarah977 said "Just because someone has a valid driver's licence or passport doesn't mean they're good people".

In any event, this was not a request from an owner, but rather I had been "randomly selected" by AirBnB to update my ID. While I object to providing a digital version of my photo ID for storage "in the cloud", it would be easier to understand if EVERYONE, wanting to book AirBnB accommodation, was asked to do so. However, this is not the case, as I have many friends who use AirBnB and none have been randomly selected (yet) to provide ID.

The good thing is that there are many other accommodation sites out there, so it won't bother me in the slightest not using AirBnB to book accommodation in the future. This will only impact owners and AirBnB.

Anne11702
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

I live in the UK. I do not have a passport, and my driving licence is the old paper type. I am not allowed a new driving licence unless my old one is lost, stolen or damaged, or until I reach the age of 70 years old. Therefore I cannot supply airbnb with the required paperwork. The help centre just keep pointing me in the direction of the article about how to verify identity. So I am unable to book any airbnb now. I refuse to believe that I am the only person in this situation. I can't get a new drivers licence and I don't have a passport, and the UK government doesn't issue ID cards. So I'm stuck. Anyone have any ideas?

Just use another platform, Vrbo, TripAdvisor etc.. nobody else asks you to upload government ID and risk identity theft!  Better still search Facebook, there are loads of sites where you can find great holiday accommodation and book direct with owners ... less money and less risk! 

Anne11702
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

Thanks for the response. I've found that some hosts advertise on many sites and found what I wanted on TripAdvisor. Doubt if I'll be using airbnb in future. Thanks again.

I just came from traveling Europe for 5 weeks and used AirBNB without ID verify and now back home to US.  Wanted to book a home and get a prompt to Verify ID. I sent them my US government issued Clearance ID which included my full name, picture, and barcode #, accompanied with my selfie.   This document did not clear airbnb sustem. They want a whole lot more information.  After speaking with a live agent on the phone she verified that the Clearance is run automated and they have no control over manual review. I guess airbnb has lost me as a client. I just think it's getting to invasive.   Privacy please. 

Peter377
Level 1
Houten, Netherlands

This is a disaster. I tried to use the official dutch government app to copy your ID, which puts a watermark in there and removes your social security number. But AirBnB does not accept it. You can not really give any feedback either. Just a list of precooked questions where you get explained how safe it is. I contacted the host to explain why my reservation did not go through and she replied she had scorse of people with this problem. This will hurt their bussiness. I have been a customer with them for many years without any problems anyway. Why would my identity suddenly be a problem? Probably some government regulation they have to comply with. It does not make any sense from a bussiness perspective. It used to be reputation based, not based on your slavecard issued by an immoral government who kills people in foreign wars.

 

I doubt this is government regualtion.  They would have definitely mention that if it was the case.  Essentially, from a privacy perspective, this is a horrible idea and it couldn't have been implemented in more horribly startling manner.