Hello everyone. I'm new and was wondering about something fairly important.

[Frank1310]

I have one question.  Our first Airbnb guest is coming on the 4th of February.  He is staying for 2 months, so  I'm wondering if Airbnb has taken all of their information including drivers license, ID etc. in case there is any issues, or is that the host's responsibility.

Sincerely, 

Frank

[Emiel1]

@Frank1310 

You can see on the guest profile what is verified.

ID verification is not an obligation.

Please note "long term stays" have special rules, be sure you are familiar with them.

(search in Airbnb Help for: long term stay).

[Helen350]

Hi @Frank1310 

It's a myth that because your guest appears via the Airbnb platform, then they are somehow checked out, approved & safe. Your guest could be anybody! - It's up to YOU to do any necessary checks to satisfy yourself that you trust them! 

To an extent, a history of previous good reviews is reassuring, tho' not all hosts dare to be honest when they have a bad guest.

Many hosts on this forum report that the quality of communication via Airbnb messaging  before the stay is the best indication of whether you trust your prospective guest or not. Many would say that unscrupulous bad guests target new hosts, who may be naive & gullable & blissfully unaware of 'red flags'..... (Tho' renting a guest suite in your own home is probably less likely to attract the 'wrong sort' than a separate unit miles away.)

If your guest is staying 2 months, it might be good to make intermittant checks that all is well and they are looking after the place?

Hope it all goes well!

[Frank1310]

Thanks Helen,  I think that is very smart advise, and good information.  Much appreciated.

[Emilia42]

@Frank1310 

It's the host's responsibility. Always. 

Even if Airbnb says they have verified a driver's licence through a third party, it doesn't mean they will give you the information if something goes wrong.

[Frank1310]

So true, that definitely crossed my mind.  Thanks

[Kia272]

@Frank1310  It’s a bit surprising to me that you’ve already listed your property without understanding some important fundamentals of how Airbnb works, and how you are and aren’t protected when using the platform.  
I think you would benefit from reading some Help articles on hosting, and how the Airbnb platform works. 
There are also potential issues with long-term rentals, so some focus on that would serve you well. 
Good luck, Kia 

[Frank1310]

Thank you for your opinion Kia.  I have done some reading, but found it to be a bit vague sometimes, especially on this particular subject, which I believe is very important.  This is why I ended up having to come here to the Airbnb community to get information from actual hosts and see first hand what others think from a more experienced perspective. 

It does seem as though from reading comments, that we as hosts need to do our due diligence, as it is not made known exactly what Airbnb does with respect to screening, and the extent to which information is gathered on guests in various specific situations.

[Kia272]

@Frank1310  I do understand it's a bit difficult to figure out. I think we've all come to the conclusion that what AirBnB is doing is not adequate. I think a large part of the problem is that we hosts go in with the assumption that a platform that promotes this particular interaction would want to play their part responsibly, as it lessens the chance of problems, which leaves guests and hosts happy, which makes more money for AirBnB. 

I do suggest that you keep in mind that for the most part, we can only hope that our guests are honest people who just want a nice place to stay while traveling, working, vacationing, etc. I'm know impressions as hosts are quite subjective, as we all have different properties and hosting situations. There's always going to be one bad apple guest, and likely one bad apple host. 

I know I'm lucky because I'm on the property. My place is not likely to be targeted as a party spot, and I'm not likely to have really basic rules like number of guests exceeded, because I am here. I'm in a tourist destination within several hours of metropolitan areas, and people genuinely just want to get away, especially during the pandemic. I don't know how I would handle being an off-property host. I'm sure it's difficult and opens the door to more problems. 

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with your property. Really, all you can do is educate yourself as well as possible about how AirBnB works and treats hosts, and go in with your eyes open. There are other platforms to explore once you get your hosting mojo on track. 

Best, Kia

[Frank1310]

Thanks for the good information and advise.  I will likely ask for his drivers license when he arrives at our door at least.  I am also fortunate, like you, that our Airbnb unit is attached to our home, so we are right there to keep watch. 

[Karen7]

I am very disappointed in how Airbnb is verifying identification. You can only ask for government ID - driver's license, state ID - if you Instant book. What shows up can be only two forms of identification - it might only be a phone number and an email. I said that wasn't enough and they advised that they did provide Airbnb with their license - I couldn't see this. I called and told it was present on their end. I have no idea why they have decided to not show all kinds of ID provided, this is completely ridiculous. How are we supposed to know how well they verified the ID? I was told by the support person to file a complaint. I am so tired of the arbitrary changes that are made.

[Frank1310]

Yes , that's very concerning.  Hopefully Airbnb will listen to folks and change some of their policies eventually.