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I require guest ID before check in for all guests in room 2 max per room have a shared home that is Unhosted. I give tour do a head count then let them be to enjoy, many people inquire how many guests will be sharing bath. I understand there concern so I am very conscious of registered guests only. Some share a bath and master has private. It is important to know guests ID, first being for our towns fire code laws. I have to have all registered guests listed. My listing states a $50.00 penalty per day for extra guest snuck in. Surprisingly other guests call and tell me more guests than 2 in other rooms . Not fair to paying guests to have to share a bath with unregistered guest and more than occupancy standards. The paying guests have a right to what I offer in my home. I tell them this upon checkin to please feel free to call me if something seems amiss.
I have gotten calls from whole house smells like marijuana, their is a guest who has invited friends to party slept on couch and got in debate with other guests. I show up and out they go Airbnb very good with this in my experience. It’s your home your rules if listed in manual apply, Airbnb honors noncompliance to house rules very well. To the point of telling to call police and have them removed, they have 1 hour upon my cancellation their stay. It only happened 2 times but guests left without a refund and collected the 50.00 extra guest fee. I believe it’s all how you word your house manual/rules Airbnb steps up to the plate very well!
I see a lot of great answers on here.
I have a similar housing situation. Most people put the correct amount of guests staying some miss that part. I inquire just in case. I do not allow parties and I tell guests they need to let me know if the will have visitors. (Many don’t allow visitors) I do not inquire about other names. The important thing to me is the amount of people staying. I also allow first time renters. They have to start somewhere. I have only had renters that left big messes in three years. I also charge big for guests not reported for overnight stays and pets too! Welcome to the Airbnb community. Dot let the trash talkers get you down!
I agree that a greeting from a host helps a guest connect on a personal level and I do believe that it likely encourages guests to have more respect for their lodgings during their stay.
That’s just psychology.
I know for a fact that our reviews wouldn’t be so fabulous if guests were only allowed to utilize self-check-in. Only because I know that our suite is not all THAT amazing, but there is a huge difference in the responses from guests about it when they have gotten to know us as opposed to when they haven’t!
That being said, numbers of guests are much different than requiring everyone’s name. I wouldn’t be comfortable if the host wanted the names/ID of every guest.
I think it’s intrusive too and I’m sure that there are many people who feel the same way. Because our apartments are both one bedroom/one queen bed then we host mainly couples.
Their marital status or relationship is absolutely none of my business and sometimes the guest’s companion doesn’t want their name to be known by the host. If someone called Susan goes to an rental and the host writes in the review ‘Susan and Tim were great guests’ that’s asking for trouble if Susan’s husband Phil sees it.
There are several reasons why guests don’t want to be named. I’ve had guests (not the ones who booked but their companion) who haven’t even wanted to be seen.
So what do you do if you find an unexpected 3rd party booking?
Multiple times I have had children booking for parents and I only find out on arrival that the person I am sending all the info to is not going to show!
As hosts we know that 3rd party bookings are not permitted, but the hotel experience guests have no idea.
The freak out response I get when I start the process of cancellation and then getting it in writing from Airbnb that the booking person will be responsible for any issues.
I just love you, lady. This is all you had to say right here. Its NONE of the hosts business what the name, passport number, eye color is of my guests.
It’s really quite the dumb bunny move as well, isn’t it?
Why would someone ignore one of the best things that hotels do well, THE most appreciated aspect of leisure and accommodation: Privacy and anonymity.
Why would anyone want to screw that up?
I guarantee I would not be booking with you.
So, you don’t have to worry there.
I would probably be better off booking with that one creepy, nosy and self-righteous parent of a high school friend that everyone had once, the one friend whose house you never went to.
… or maybe Ned Flanders.
I just love a vacation where the host monitors my comings and goings, peeks through the curtains, and murmurs to their wife about my whereabouts at 12:54 a.m., all the whlle clucking their tongue and intimating about my probable criminal background.
Let the fun begin!
At least Ned Flanders might be good for a laugh.
There is absolutely no reason for you to ask for the entire party’s personal information. And to ask for their ID is probably illegal (I would hope).
How would this information protect all of your special and expensive assets?
The primary guest takes responsibility for any and all damage. They are legally in possession and responsible for any damages that they or their guests may incur.
These aren’t “people staying in your home”. These are strangers that are renting a space from you because you want or need the extra money. It’s a business transaction. The rules changed when you signed up for this. It’s a give and take, an equal and fair trade in society.
And it’s their holiday/business trip, whatever. They don’t need the extra invasive irritant. It reeks of power-trippy martyrdom. I’m glad that you are comfortable with your occupancy rates. But if you ever find your numbers dropping, this might be an area I would suggest you investigate.
Also, I have no problem with cameras outside. They have a purpose and are an example of security that makes absolute sense.
I’ve had a handful of unexpected 3rd party bookings.
I don’t gnash my teeth and wail.
If after pertinent questioning, I am satisfied that they aren’t going to sell my first born to a mexican drug cartel, fill my pool with jello shots or host a long and involved drumming circle, I allow it.
And in 5 years, I haven’t had one problem. It’s a gamble, but these are issues that happens so infrequently and really carry such low risk that I make sure I don’t waste time ruminating on them.
If my biggest issue is children booking for their parents who just learned how to take a picture with their Iphone, then I’m doing pretty fabulous.
Sometimes those 70 year olds have gotten out of hand when their mahjong game runs late or past 10 p.m but you live and learn.
We’ve had quite a few now, and to be frank they’ve been fine. We collect full ID of all occupants at check in, so we know exactly who is staying, and the guests know that we submit their ID to the Policia, as we are obliged to do under Spanish law.
It’s only Airbnb that make a big thing about third party bookings, none of the other OTA’s bother their arse. It’s heads in beds as @RiverRock often says, and it is up to the host to deal with issues that arise during a reservation, no matter who has booked and paid for the accommodation.
If a host does have an issue, both BDC and VRBO allow for genuine security deposits to be taken from the person who pays for the booking, which can then be utilised in the case of damages.
I realize ID requirements vary by country. Here in U.S. I was booking a big Long Island house for a family get-together awhile back. Owner 1 required a copy of my drivers license and the names, ages and addresses of all guests, and a huge damage deposit.
I totally got it; big party house risk here.
Owner 2 wanted a deposit toward the total rental and suggested, but did not require, that we all eat at the nearby restaurant he owned. Communications were extremely laid back.
Guess which place I rented?
It isn’t illegal. Do you think that landlords who do long term lease rentals don’t require the full names and ID of their renters? And there are many countries where it is illegal NOT to register the ID info of short term guests.
There have been hosts who have had guests thoroughly trash their place or steal all the valuables. Stealing is a police matter, but how can you report the theft to the police if the only name you have is “John” and don’t even know if that’s his real name? And Airbnb won’t tell the host the guest’s full name.
I don’t ask for ID myself, only host one guest at a time and have never had a sketchy guest. But if other hosts find asking for names and ID to be something that makes them more protected, that’s their prerogative. If a guest doesn’t want to comply, no one is forcing them to book that listing.
And putting peeking in the curtains, and nosing around in the guest’s business in the same category as asking for the names of guests is absurd.
I can’t imagine feeling put out by a host wanting my full name if I am asking to stay in their home.
This is such an Airbnb issue, and something they really need to address.
There is not another OTA who behaves the way they do in respect of guest identity. We’re fortunate (and I know that!) because the law here is such that “John”, and anyone else checking in, needs to show me photographic ID before he gets to stay. No exceptions.
On the other hand, if I get a request for ID’s of everyone in my party when I make the booking, like others in this topic I’d find it intrusive, and hints at the potential for discrimination. You can have my ID when I check in mate, unless like someone did point out, there is a legal requirement for pre registration of tourists.
A long term rental contract or lease is much different than a 3 day STR stay. You are entering into a contract with that person directly (and never mind that, its in your best interest to be as cooperative as possible so people often abide by a landlords request, whether what they ask is legal or not!)
I was lightheartedly teasing about whether it is in fact legal or not.
But if you want to get factual and/or technical, any guests of the primary guest do not, in fact, have to provide you with ID. They have not entered into a contract with you.
Not even the primary guest has to provide it to you. They only have to to provide it to Airbnb with whom with they have entered into a legally binding contract. You are a 3rd party contracted service provider
of Airbnb.
Now, it may be in the guest’s best interest to abide by your “rules” but they do not have to if they choose not to and you couldn’t do a thing about it during their stay.
Not even Airbnb can make them do that.
I only had a chance to read the first part of your post but will respond to anything else in a bit!
I don’t ask for ID (booking person does need to be verified tho), however I do request names of people staying ahead of time. Part of the reason is to remind guest of head count and also because we don’t allow folks not on a reservation on the property. It’s more a formality but I figure if a guest won’t provide the names of folks staying on our property, could be a red flag.
I don’t really see why that’s so intrusive to some people? Seems pretty basic and common practice at many Airbnb’s in my popular vacation area
