Has the Identiy Verification process changed?

[Katharine-Kelly0]

I just got two booking requests in a row from guests without verified identities. We've been hosting for under a year, but have never had this happen before. Has Airbnb done something to change the process when users create a new account? I messaged both guests and requested that they verify. One did so after his booking request expired. I am still waiting for a response from the second, but it appears that she will do the same.

[Pat271]

It looks like you are right, and this has changed. Only confirmed email address and phone number are required, unless you use Instant Book.

@Nick Can you let us know the reason that guests don’t have to verify their identities when they open an Airbnb account? That seems like it should be a basic requirement.

[Katharine-Kelly0]

Thanks for weighing in, Pat. @Nick now Airbnb has blocked the dates on my calendar. I messaged guest immediately and requested verification but received no response. Their request expired and now the dates are blocked? Why the change? Why the lack of direction from Airbnb? What was the proper response on my end? Communication with the guest? Did that. A denial? That seems counter intuitive. Please help! 

[Emilia42]

@Katharine-Kelly0 

For a booking request, you have to accept or decline before the 24-hour clock runs out. If you receive no communication and require that communication, you must decline the request. 

[Sarah977]

@Katharine-Kelly0  As far as I'm aware, there has never been a requirement for verified ID. I have hosted quite a few guests over the years who only showed a phone number and email address.  

If you've never seen this before, it may just be that there are so many newbie guests these days who don't seem to think they need to provide any info in order for hosts to feel okay about accepting. They don't even bother to write a few lines about themselves on their profiles. They don't bother to write a nice initial message to the host, they just ask for a discount or to bring 4 extra people over your max guest count. It's a different mind-set demographic of guests lately.

[Emilia42]

@Katharine-Kelly0 You should also be aware that being "Verified" doesn't mean that Airbnb did a background check or asked for an ID. It means that a third party says the guests are who they say they are. For instance, guests who log in to Airbnb with their Facebook account are "verified" within seconds.

[Nick]

Some good advice from @Emilia42 and @Sarah977 , thank you.

As it stands  users  may be required to verify their identity before booking a stay (or experience) or becoming hosts @Pat271  @Katharine-Kelly0. Airbnb can ask for a government ID or ask for confirmation of the legal name and address.

Also worth noting that some hosts require their guests to complete identity verification in order to book their place or experience i.e. hosts can require guests to have this in order to book.

I am linking the policy here  for more information on the matter. In terms of changes to this policy, I am not personally aware of any recent ones.

Hope this helps. 

[Pat271]

Thanks, @Nick.

At the link you posted, Airbnb seems to realize the necessity for hosts to confirm identities when they say:

______________

“When you’ll be asked to confirm your identity

This may happen for a couple of reasons. For example, some hosts require their guests to complete identity verification in order to book their place or experience.”

______________

I am not aware of a setting I can set in Airbnb for requiring the guest to submit their government ID to Airbnb, unless Instant Book is set, or unless I’m missing something.

I would like to require all my guests to submit government ID to Airbnb. I would be very surprised if there are any hosts here who would *not* want their guests to submit government ID to Airbnb. Is there a setting for this that I’m missing? If not, and virtually all hosts want this ability, why is it missing?

[Katharine-Kelly0]

Thanks for the info, Nick. I think the frustration results from the change Airbnb has made to the New Account Creation process. We've hosted nearly 100 stays since starting last June and never had this issue pop up before. As I said, we had two users with new accounts attempt to book stays. We require ID verification and I messaged each user requesting that they complete that process. One user took care of it more than 24 hours later. The other failed for take care of it, I declined her request, two days past, and she lost the booking when another guest grabbed those dates and Instant Booked. Overall, not a huge issue for me, but not a great first impression for her as a new customer to Airbnb. IMHO, Airbnb may want to revisit the decision to modify the New Account Creation process.

[Emilia42]

@Katharine-Kelly0 Do you have this box ticked?

https://www.airbnb.com/hosting/requirements

[Katharine-Kelly0]

I believe that I do. That is why she had to send a request rather than do an Instant Book (I think). I will be sure to double check!

[Katharine-Kelly0]

Emilia, thank you so much! I've never seen that page before! No, I did not have that box checked, but now I do! Thanks again!

[Nick]

Hey @Pat271 if you follow this link (btw @Emilia42 also shared a bit further down), you can click the dialog box and set this up. 

I'm attaching a screenshot also

Thanks again @Emilia42! 

[Pat271]

@Nick Thanks, Nick!

I have the box above checked already, but often see no government ID verification under the guest profile. If guests are required to have their ID verified when they book with me, why isn’t it showing up in their profile?

[Emilia42]

@Pat271 Airbnb removed that from profiles a little while ago. But when that box is checked I do believe that all the guests coming to me have uploaded an ID. Just today I had two separate guests message me to say they were having trouble submitting their ID and could I help them. I get the "Pending Verification" holds on my calendar all the time while guests are going through the process. 

Before I find that box I had bookings coming through all the time as "requests" because a government ID was not added. Since checking the box they are all now instant bookings. It was life-changing actually 🙂