Guests using my address to open bank accounts

[Gordon58]

Hi,

Looking for a bit of advice from anyone who may have been in this situation.

I have two students from Kazahkstan staying with me. They are studying at Glasgow University until December and booked to stay at my place for the whole of September

They appear to have opened bank accounts and have used my address for mail to be sent. I received a couple of letters for them today.

However, they didn't ask if they could use my address. Had they asked, I would have said no.

I would have thought the university would have a set-up to deal with this type of situation – perhaps the university being used as a postal address.

It could all be fairly innocent and I appreciate the difficulties young people from countries as far away as the likes of Kazakhstan have.

However, I have concerns about fraud and my address being used for other purposes.

What do people think? What should I do with the mail (the guests are currently out and don't know it has arrived)? Return it to the bank? Should I contact the university? The bank?

Additionally, they mentioned last night that they want to cut short their stay as they feel my place is too far away from the university.

I called Airbnb support but they weren't much help – and said I might want to speak to a lawyer! That might cost a bit...

[Jay1929]

students can later change the address as soon as they find a regular address. Standard trouble with all the students who can't find a place to live right away specially in crowded cities.

[Kimberly54]

@Gordon58, it's easy.  Just tell them that they need to rent a PO Box as their address.  Period.

This doesn't need to be a conflict; merely a gentle re-direction. 

Assume innocence.

Best

[Letti0]

@Kimberly0 not sure the tag will work. In the US you can not open a bank account or a charge account without a physical address. PO boxes are not allowed. I'm pretty sure it would be the same in the UK though I have not actually checked. 

[Rachel0]

@Gordon58 This all sounds a bit worrying.  I would speak to somebody at the Uni Admin team and get some advice.  However, as the mail has already arrived for them you will have to give it to them but make sure that they open it in front of you so that you can see what is being sent to YOUR address.  Make it perfectly clear that any further use of your address is forbidden.  I hope it all works out OK.

[Victoria567]

Hi @Rach3el

You are under no obligation to give them anything as far as their mail is concerned, except short shrift.

Stick it back in the nearest post box with bold lettered, “return to sender, no one of this name lives here”..

..I do this to the odd rogue letter that arrives at my address.

They are not registered on the electoral register at your address!

Goodness knows what’s in the package......drugs? weapons? Contraband? Explosives?

Tell that to the nice policeman when he / she comes to visit your home.

This behaviour from guests is really not on and I don’t give two hoots what review they leave me as a host......it’s my family home.....period!

[Louisa82]

Victoria ..totally agree with every word you said,

i have a Nigerian guy staying for 6 days .. he wanted to know where the bank was as he needed to open a bank account...i asked what address he was using to open it, he said Mine, I strongly told him that would not be happening and he does not have my permission, and if anything turns up it will be put back in post, I'll probably cut any card in half first. i suggested he use the university's address, apparently the bank won't except that, ??

he then asked if i was going to work tomorrow, i said no, he then told me he had ordered a Monzo bank card and it would be arriving tomorrow, he will not be receiving that one.

I have contacted the university and expressed my concerns awaiting a reply, 

i will also contact the fraud investigation team to see what they have to say on matters of this nature.

I'm surprised there isn't tighter restrictions 

anyway, I've decided i will not host any students from abroad, 

[Gordon58]

Thanks, Victoria, you get to the point pronto.

The letters contain bankcards. The PO Box address on the back of the envelopes is for a bank.

Tomorrow I will request at the bank that the cards are cut up in front of me and that the accounts they have with my address on them are deleted. Easier to do that in a branch, I reckon.

I'd better keep schtum about some other things these guests have done during their stay or you'll give me a REALLY hard time. Hasn't been good. 

[Susan151]

These student can't just submit a change of address for this bank account?

[Letti0]

@Gordon58  In the US you can not open a bank account or a charge account without a physical address. PO Boxes are not allowed. So what did they use to prove the address was theirs. My guess is a cellphone bill registered to your address, they just had to walk in and buy a throw away registered to your address. Instant proof of address. 

In order to open a UK bank account, you will need two documents: one to prove your identity and one to prove your address. This applies both in branch and online. Proving your identity is simple. You just need your passport, driving licence or identity card (if you're an EU national)

[Huma0]

@Letti0 

I have often wondered about this. As I host mostly long term stays, I have had several guests use my address to open bank/credit card accounts, as well as for so many other purposes (one guest even allowed her cousin, whom I had never met let alone hosted, to use it for her visa application). Even more annoying, I've had short term guests do it too (most recently for a national insurance number application).

See: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Do-you-let-guests-receive-mail/m-p/964607#M242042

I've never understood how they could produce the documentation necessary. I mean, whenever I have had to apply for anything official, I've been asked for one, or more often TWO, proofs of address, and these must be in the form of a mortgage statement/lease/rental contract or utility/Council Tax bill in my name. I can't imagine why a bank or government department would accept an Airbnb booking, even if it was long-term. The mobile phone bill kind of makes sense though...

[Victoria567]

Hi @Gordon58

Its not a case of giving you a hard time, just sharing some of the behaviour that some entitled guests think is fine and dandy for them but not so great for the like of us hosts.

[Gordon58]

No problem, Victoria. My experience has been that first-time Airbnb users are often the most difficult as they unsure where the boundaries are and are often nervous about asking many questions. I'm finding that everything has to be clearly defined for them. I'm working on a do's and dont's guidebook. I now know more of the pitfalls!

[Kimberly54]

@Victoria567, "drugs, weapons? Contraband? Explosives?" 

This is starting to sound like fun--and we were just talking about tiny chips on tea-cups in another thread!

**bleep** your guests in the bud, and don't waste time.  (Also, don't assume malice--they may just be innocent and young.)

Best,

[Kimberly54]

OKAY, this is both interesting and alarming.

My post reads:

"**bleep** your guests in the bud and don't waste time."

I did NOT write this, nor did anything I DID write possibly merit a censor.  

Where are our admins???

[Letti0]

@Kimberly54  Contact @Lizzie in a diect message about this.