Was it an Airbnb? Airbnb has a policy of not letting you write down guest information in the USA so it would be nearly impossible to sue a guest for something like that.
It was not airbnb. Long term tenant (dog owner) was suing for his security deposit back. He did not get it.
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I’ve never heard that one. How on earth could they possibly enforce that?
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What? I get a copy of every guests ID every time. Air cannot stop me from following local regulations. The county requires that I get a copy of ID and collect 10% tax.
RR
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I “write down” every guest’s information when they book so I can contact them if the website goes down.
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I had a guest complain because I took a picture of his ID.
I posted this before but this is the letter I got:
My name is Ivan and I am your dedicated case manager with the Trip Experience team here at Airbnb.
I am sorry to inform you that your recent Guest, ____, has contacted Airbnb regarding a concern he has over you taking a photo of his ID.
As you are aware, Airbnb does take the safety and security of our members very seriously.
Since all Airbnb guests and Hosts must go through our verification process before they can book a reservation, or Host a reservation, you do not need to worry about the account being real (https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/272/can-i-require-guests-to-be-verified-before-booking).You may ask to see the Guest’s ID at check-in to verify that the person staying is the person who booked with you, but making copies in any format is against the Airbnb Terms of Service (https://www.airbnb.com/terms).
If you still need assistance, please reply to this email by 12:00 PM EST on Dec 12th. If I do not hear from you, I will take it that everything is alright regarding the ID issue, and close out this ticket for you.
If you do have additional questions regarding ID’s, please let me know by replying to this email and I will be happy to help you with any other issues you may have.
If you need any further help, feel free to reply to this email. It will come directly to me. I’ll be sure to get this turned around for you.
If there is anything that you may ever need, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I am always an email away and more than happy to lend a helping hand. If it’s easier to give us a call, you can call us at +1-415-800-5959.
Thank you for reaching out to Airbnb Customer Service, we are here for you whenever you need us, you can also visit our Help Center at: www.airbnb.com/help
Best Regards,
Ivan
www.airbnb.com/help
Making a copy (scanning, taking a photo, etc) of an ID is not the same as “writing down guest information.” Some people keep a spreadsheet of all their guests for example. IDs typically have other information like DL numbers or SS numbers that might be subject to identity theft.
I write down my guest’s name and phone number on the reservation but the only ID I ever checked was for cash client. I didn’t make a copy of it, it just checked it.
I wonder how @PuppyLover got the information on her guest so she could take her to court?
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I think Ivan was crystal clear that you can’t do that.
making copies in any format is against the Airbnb Terms of Service
That is not quite the same as…
… is it?
Airbnb says, in the TOS, that members may not:
copy, store or otherwise access or use any information, including personally identifiable information about any other Member, contained on the Airbnb Platform in any way that is inconsistent with Airbnb’s Privacy Policy or these Terms or that otherwise violates the privacy rights of Members or third parties
I’m sure you understand that this refers to data harvesting and not ‘writing down guest information’.
I keep notes on all guests who stay longer than a couple of days for the simple reason of helping me to anticipate their likes and dislikes, or personal preferences, if and when they become repeat clients. I have done this for years. I also have a guest book where clients leave remarks and they often leave their details along with their comments.
This is to provide customer service, not to use the data to ‘violate their privacy’.
I’d like to write down guest names, addresses and dates of birth. I don’t necessarily need a DL# but the purpose of the name, address and DOB is to identify guests so I know who’s here. If I have to make a police report, I can just say “Tom from Airbnb”. I think its fair since guests know my name and where I live. Also since there are multiple guests staying in here, it informs guests that I know who’s here and if another guest stole from them for example, I could catch them. So in my mind, it could make everyone feel safer. I realize there’s a lot of guests who would rather be ‘off the grid’ and not for nefarious reasons either.
Regardless, the way I read that policy it excludes me from writing down guest information. I don’t have a copy of the chat window because this was over a year ago but I’m pretty sure I asked and he clarified no writing down of guest information. I don’t want to keep getting popped by Airbnb support for violating TOS so I don’t try and write it down.
So you need the details in case you need to file a report with the law and I need it to ensure that my repeat guests have a great time when staying with me.
There’s a world of difference there…
Wow, idk what I would do if this happens to me. The county requires me to get a copy of ID and keep it for 3 years.
RR
From the TOS:
14.1 You are solely responsible for compliance with any and all laws, rules, regulations, and Tax obligations that may apply to your use of the Airbnb Platform. In connection with your use of the Airbnb Platform, you will not and will not assist or enable others to:
- breach or circumvent any applicable laws or regulations, agreements with third-parties, third-party rights, or our Terms, Policies or Standards;
So they cannot tell me to break the law/regulation regarding getting and retaining a copy of ID for guests, thanks @Mexican for bringing this up now if this happens to me I can show them this.
RR
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When I go to “Reservations” on the website, I can see all of my past guests names, and when I click on the 3 dots to the right of the “details” button, I can see their phone number. I’ve never written down anyone’s phone number.
EDIT: Sorry @KKC, I just saw that you do this so you will have their contact info if the website goes down.
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When our local Policia finally get organised, we will have to take a copy of the ID’s of ALL guests, not just the lead booker. Other areas within Andalucia already have the procedure in place where the passport/ID card is copied and sent within 24hrs to the Comisaria.
Would I rather go against Airbnb’s TOS, or the local Police… that’s a difficult one. Not.
JF
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