How can we know the credentials of our guest?

[Kim-and-Ning0]

I have a prospective guest who, on AirBNB, is only identified by a single Chinese character.  His/her photo is in fact two photos, each of a man and a woman, but their faces are hidden from view.  They want to rent our house for 5 months, want to max out the number of people staying, and are asking for a discount.  I've asked them for details about themselves, but their replies are oblique.  How reliable are AirBNB'S verifications?  I'm inclined to offer a discount provided they put up a 1 month damage deposit and provide us with copies of their passports, and if they refuse, so be it. Does anyone else have suggestions for handling prospective guests like this?  Thanks.  

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

Sounds like a nightmare already - be very sure you want to progress as you state you are getting bad signals already from this booking. It's not unusual for a person to  have their partner in  the photo too - in fact it helps hosts as they see a second face. But in this case the faces are hidden.

There are undoubtedly language issues here, and perhaps cultural ones too. 

AirBnB verification is just that - it's verification of a name. It's not a background check. Same goes  for passports - they are no different in that all they tell you is the person in front of you has a passport from a specific country (and the name may or may not be correct)

So, summing it up, if I was to be a pessimist, I see this as the basis for your 'Help wanted - non compliant guest and they are here for another 4 months!

On the other hand, persevere and get a face pic uploaded, understand why they are in the same area fo 5 months, etc...

[Sean---Enrique0]

Definitely (!!!!) get a security deposit. Make sure the reservation is booked through Airbnb the entire 5 months (for insurance purposes if something goes wrong)... And good luck 😉 5 months is a long time.