Airbnb Wants a Picture of a Government Issued ID?

[ivinsfan]

I'm not an owner, I'm a renter. I understand why the owner would want to be as secure as possible. But I'm not going to upload that information on the internet. I know it's out there, but I'm not comfortable facilitating that.

Heck, if someone has already stolen my identity and is renting his apartment to start a meth lab, then this system already is broken.

That's your decision and means some things are going to be closed to you. But if you think your name DL number and current address are highly sensitive info,I'm afraid you are mistaken..

 

[HadEnuff]

That's your decision and means some things are going to be closed to you. But if you think your name DL number and current address are highly sensitive info,I'm afraid you are mistaken..

I'll live with both of those situations.

I also think, that while Airbnb may be closed to me, a lot of people will be put off by their measures, and hence, Airbnb will be further limiting their market. It will be interesting to see how things develop.

 

[Nemo2]

airbnb's take:

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/453/is-providing-identification-to-airbnb-secure

Is providing identification to Airbnb secure?
The ID information you provide to Airbnb is governed by our Privacy Policy and transmitted using SSL, the same secure encryption that websites use to transmit credit card numbers.

When we receive information from your driver's license or passport, we store the number in an encrypted form, so you should only have to verify your ID once. For countries with knowledge-based authentication, we don't store the questions or your answers.

Only authorized Airbnb employees are allowed access to your original documentation for troubleshooting or internal purposes.

Our third-party partners store information according to our written instructions and under our Privacy Policy.

Huffpo, (of course), has a different perspective......but, since I don't subscribe to............

 

[CardsFan]

I don't think I've ever had them make a copy of my ID. They look to make sure the name matches and hand it back to me. They do run the credit card. Is that what you're thinking of?

Maybe not domestic hotels, but in most of the rest of the world making copy of your passport at check-in is the norm, at least in my experience.

 

[ivinsfan]

I'll live with both of those situations.

I also think, that while Airbnb may be closed to me, a lot of people will be put off by their measures, and hence, Airbnb will be further limiting their market. It will be interesting to see how things develop.

I disagree that a lot of people will be put off....So will you come back to this thread and let us know how your hunt for a 3 month rental turns out..that would be a good test run.

Airbnb is a conduit between owners and renters they have to look out for their owners too.

 

[Eastbayboy]

Airbnb required a driver license upload... I would not do it. I used HomeAway which never asked for my DL. Just as good as Airbnb without the over reach.

 

[Bamaman]

Owners just want to knowab who they are trusting their biggest asset to.

Huge parties at AirBnBs are getting to be notorious. And owners are tired of their places being trashed.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Both times I used Airbnb it was charged to my cc at the time of reservation. When I cancelled the first one months in advance after DH was diagnosed with leukemia they even kept something around $150 of what I'd paid.

I have a airbnb rental. I require ID to rent from me. I have never seen the ID that was provided to airbnb and even though you pay upfront along with a security deposit, I never see the security deposit and airbnb only transfers the money too me 24 hours after your scheduled check in.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Airbnb required a driver license upload... I would not do it. I used HomeAway which never asked for my DL. Just as good as Airbnb without the over reach.

There are lot's of good sites out there (and I use several). My fee's are higher on these other sites (and yours as well), so my prices on those sites reflect that.

I find the airbnb site works best ( for my needs ),totally automated, better management tools, better pricing control, faster network for communication between clients and myself, better demographic of travelers, etc.

 

[sengsational]

Seems like any disclosure of a government issued ID is being treated as identical in this thread. That is certainly not in line with risk to you as the holder of the ID.

From least to most risk:
0. No ID
1. Show ID and get it right back
2. Paper photocopy of the ID (the image is only on paper)
3. Computer photo of the ID (the image is stored as a file or in a database, data not extracted)
4. Computer scan of the ID (the text data of the document, as well as the image is put into a database)

It looks like "4." is what AirBnB does. That's a heck of a lot different than me showing my drivers license to the hotel clerk so he can verify the address I wrote on the check-in form.

In the case of AirBnB, if you give them your ID, you're trusting them to keep your secret (to the degree that your DL#, passport#, etc are secret). Even if they have the best of intentions, we all know how sloppy business and government entities have been with safeguarding data. That's why I resist, when possible. If asked, I say "it's not that I don't trust you, but what if the hackers get to your database? I'd rather not take the chance".

 

[HadEnuff]

I disagree that a lot of people will be put off....So will you come back to this thread and let us know how your hunt for a 3 month rental turns out..that would be a good test run.

Airbnb is a conduit between owners and renters they have to look out for their owners too.

I have found a 3 month rental. VRBO..no upload of DL or Passport.
There is no question about it, many are put off. That is not in question. What is in question is whether or not it will effect the viability of Airbnb. Only time will tell.

 

[ivinsfan]

I have found a 3 month rental. VRBO..no upload of DL or Passport.
There is no question about it, many are put off. That is not in question. What is in question is whether or not it will effect the viability of Airbnb. Only time will tell.

Time will tell...I Do like that AirBnB holds the rental money until you have checked in. On VRBO the money goes directly to the owner upon booking a little more risk for the renter IMO.

 

[brewer12345]

Eh, just use this one:

 

[Sunset]

Hey.... How did you get my ID

 

[HadEnuff]

looks just like me.