Hi, to comply with new regulations AirBnB are requesting a copy of Government ID or driving licence, containing date of birth, from your country of residence. My residence is Kenya. I hold a Kenyan Government diplomatic ID, and a Kenyan Goverment driving licence. I have submitted both, but because neither contain date of birth AirBnB will not accept them. What can I do? I have asked and asked, but get the same copy-paste sentence from the helpdesk saying “ID must contain date of birth”. It doesn’t! This is not within my control. It is not within AirBnB’s control to demand that ID displays date of birth! I cannot get a different Government ID or driving licence. Any advice?
Did you try a passport?
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I don’t have a Kenyan passport, and AirBnB want documentation from country of residence. I could provide my residence/work permit, but it doesn’t state my name nor date of birth (nor that it is a work permit!) so won’t meet airBnB’s criteria.
How odd that Kenya doesn’t put the date of birth on the driver’s license. Both my Canadian and Mexican licenses have DOB on them. (It’s on the back of the Mexican license).
It is within Airbnb’s “control” to require ID that contains DOB. They are a private company and can require anything they want in order to be a member and get paid.
I don’t know what to suggest, except to see if you can get some ID that shows DOB or ask the appropriate entity if they can add it to your ID.
Private companies cannot demand that Governments produce specific documents. They have to ask only for what exists. Mid-sized companies like airbnb often display such arrogance.
It is not for Kenya to change its ID to suit airbnb: it is for airbnb to adapt its procedures to follow sovereign governments.
No date of birth is not so strange really. You are looking at the world through north american eyes. The dicuments airbnb ask for are not universal. For example, many countries don’t have ID cards (e.g. the UK). African countries frequently don’t follow western thinking. US check-in agents struggling with my visa to Kenya is inevitable - the visa doesn’t say ‘Kenya’, doesn’t say ‘visa’, doesn’t identify me by any obvious means. The world outside follows its own rules - airbnb would assist its clients by accepting that.
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That is true. But that’s not what I said. I said they can deny you service if you can’t produce the documentation they require.
Of course I agree it’s ridiculous for Airbnb to require documentation that isn’t available from your country of residence.
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How do other Kenyan Airbnbs do it, then?
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But that is exactly what you are endorsing! Produce what THEY want, even if it doesn’t, never has, and never will exist, or they will throw a strop!!
An attitude that deserves our disdain, not “but they are the paragon of perfection, they are a Private Company! It’s ok!”.
Perhaps the first A in MAGA is AirBnB.
- no idea, but there are different ID cards for Kenyan nationals, for alien residents, and for diplomats. What each contains I do not know. They may be different. But you can only get the type pertinent to your status. Mine does not contain personal details.
- Airbnb are not asking for documents from the country of the airbnb, but from the country of residence of the account holder. My property is not in Kenya, I am.
- Driving licences have changed. Originally paper and with no personal info such as date of birth or address, for newly qualified drivers they are now plastic with personal info. But the Government has not made headway in replacing old licences like mine - TIA (this is Africa).
I don’t know anyone who espouses that “paragon of perfection” attitude. Airbnb does all kinds of things which are wrongheaded and frustrating to users and neither I nor others think it’s “ok”.
Don’t confuse people stating facts with them approving of those facts.
@KevinB, it is up to the owner of the company/property to design the conditions for offering they their service. For instance in my country you are asked to make proof of your age in any store if you have alcohol or tutun in your basket. And I mean really, you can be 90 years old, the cashier can ask for your ID and if you are unable to prove your age you must let some products behind. That’s a government decision and they have to comply.
I am sure Airbnb simply didn’t consider the particular circumstances of Kenia, in the same way they aren’t aware of a lot of regional truths.
I am pretty sure you can somehow prove your age, so find that evidence and that is the solution 
. I am 100% sure that Airbnb will accept something else than an ID card. If you are in the diplomatic field I am sure that your superior knows your age from a document, not only from your declaration . Maybe there is something like a birth certificate in your country? Do you have a bank account? It is not usual in your country for two people to have the same name? They (Airbnb) are strengthening their filters to avoid confusion, to comply with various age restrictions, etc, all good reasons. Fighting here with Airbnb makes no sense, the issues have to be sent on their official channels, here let’s hope you can find another host from your country who can say how it was for him…
Just for mirroring, do you allow minors to rent your STR on Cornwall?
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Folks, the need here is to overcome Airbnb’s intransigence. Whilst after 60 years I have realised, surprising as it might sound, that there are many ways to skin a cat (or prove your age) Airbnb have not managed the same (admittedly after less years, but hey…!). To date they have insisted on documents from country of residence.
They had my ID from country of nationality when I established the account.
I have been trying to discuss this with airbnb for three months. Even discussing is hard - perhaps they think a bot is all clients deserve, maybe their admin only allows them to use pre-determined sentences that sadly don’t match the issue, or the helpline staff struggle with English.
They have certainly raced at the new regulations without preparing properly. The regulations will not be in force for a year yet, so their actions have been precipitous. Not the first time their their desire for regulation (perhaps that is a culture thing) has backfired with undesirable consequences. Other big platforms - booking in the Netherlands as an example - haven’t stirred yet. Perhaps the European approach is different.
It is only after 3 months of effort that I have posted here. I hope this may bear fruit. After posting I received a message from support a few hours ago that seemed to open the door to ID from alternative sources than government of residence. After following up I am now awaiting clarification that their initial instructions were wide of the mark and that actually any official ID will suffice. We shall see. If not there will be nowhere to go and my calendar will remain blocked - which just means other platforms will clean up!
ps. I won’t rent to under-18s on their own without oversight. Simply because I’m not sure of my legal position in the event of them coming to harm.
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Only those 18 and over are allowed to have an Airbnb account.