Most stays need no more than a friendly guest and a working door code. But some do need more: a property in a building that requires guest registration, a place in a country where hosts must record guest ID, a direct booking with no platform behind it, or a same-day booking that just does not feel right. For those, knowing how to verify a guest’s ID properly matters.
The short version
- Airbnb runs its own identity checks, but hosts do not see the document, and the check covers the booker only.
- From 20 November 2026, Airbnb limits host ID checks on Airbnb bookings to legal, building or HOA requirements (more below).
- Verify ID yourself when the law, your building or HOA requires it, on direct bookings, and on bookings that carry more risk.
- Do not collect passport photos by message. Use a verification step that checks the document and a live selfie, and returns the result.
- In BetterSTR, ID verification sits in front of the digital guidebook: $2.50 a check, or $1.50 with Premium or BetterSTR Simple.
What Airbnb already does
Airbnb asks guests to complete identity verification, which can involve providing a legal name and address, a photo of a government ID, or a selfie, depending on the country and what Airbnb needs at the time. Guests who complete it can be shown as identity verified. The exact requirements have changed several times over the years, so treat any detailed description, including this one, as a snapshot and check Airbnb’s help centre for the current version.
Three gaps matter for hosts:
- You do not see the ID. Airbnb tells you a check happened, not what it found. If your local rules require you to record a guest’s document details, Airbnb’s badge does not do that for you.
- It covers the booker. A verified account can belong to a parent booking for teenagers, or someone booking for a group they barely know.
- It does not travel. Vrbo and Booking.com have their own checks, and a direct booking from your own website has none at all.
We go deeper on the platform side in Airbnb guest screening: how it works. This post is about the ID check itself.
Airbnb's new rules from 20 November 2026
Airbnb's Reasonable House Rules and requests policy applies to every Airbnb reservation booked on or after 20 November 2026. Under it, hosts may only collect government ID or other personal information on a separate site or app where it is needed to comply with the law or a documented community association rule (an HOA or building security requirement, for example), or to facilitate a contract Airbnb still allows. Hosts can check ID in person at check-in if that is disclosed in the listing's requests, but cannot keep a copy outside those exceptions.
That doesn't change your Booking.com, Vrbo or direct bookings, and it doesn't change the legal cases below. It does mean a blanket pre-arrival ID check on every Airbnb booking is now a risk you take on knowingly. BetterSTR's Booking Platform Filter lets you keep ID checks on your other channels and switch them off for Airbnb in one setting. We cover where we think WiFi portals, deposits and ID checks each stand, and what we are doing on our own properties, in Airbnb's new house rules policy: WiFi portals, deposits and ID checks.
When you should verify guest ID
When the law requires it
A number of countries and cities require accommodation providers to record guest identity, and some require it to be passed on to the authorities. Several European countries, including Spain, Italy and Portugal, have guest registration rules for short stays, for example. Rules differ and change, so check what applies at your address. If a rule applies, verification is not optional.
When your building or HOA requires it
Many apartment buildings and homeowner associations ask for guest names and ID before arrival. A timestamped verification record is far easier to hand over than a screenshot of a message thread.
On direct bookings
A booking through your own website has no platform checks behind it. If you are building direct bookings, which we recommend, your own verification is what replaces the platform’s.
On higher-risk bookings
Same-day bookings, brand new accounts with no reviews, one adult booking a large house for a Saturday night, or a booking made on behalf of someone else. You do not need to verify every guest to verify these ones.
When you have a minimum age
If your house rules set a minimum age for the lead guest, an ID check with age estimation is the only practical way to enforce it before arrival.
When you probably do not need to
Returning guests you already know, long stays from well-reviewed guests in a low-risk property, or business travellers booked by a company you work with. Every extra step adds a little friction, so point verification where it earns its keep. Most hosts end up with a light baseline for everyone and ID checks for the properties, channels or bookings that warrant them.
How to verify a guest’s ID
Option 1: ask for a photo by message
The most common approach, and the weakest. You cannot tell whether the document is genuine or whether it belongs to the person arriving, and you end up with copies of passports in your messages, inbox and phone, which is a privacy risk if anything goes wrong. If you do this, delete the images once they are no longer needed.
Option 2: check ID in person
Fine for a staffed reception or a meet-and-greet arrival, impractical for self check-in at 11pm.
Option 3: a dedicated verification step before check-in
The guest photographs their passport or driving licence and takes a live selfie on their phone. Software checks that the document looks genuine, compares the face on it with the selfie, and extracts the name and date of birth. You get the result, not a folder of scans.
This is how BetterSTR guest verification works. It runs on Didit, a specialist identity verification provider, and sits in front of your digital guidebook:
- The guest opens their guide link before arrival.
- A verification step appears first: ID and selfie, plus phone verification, house rules or a deposit hold if you require them.
- Once complete, the full guide opens with the WiFi, door code and arrival details.
- You see the outcome on the reservation, including the extracted name and date of birth.
You choose where it applies: a single reservation that worries you, specific properties, your whole account, or only the booking channels you pick, such as direct bookings only. If a guest will not verify, you choose between blocking the guide entirely or showing a limited version. ID images are kept for 30 days so you can review them, then deleted automatically.
What it costs
- ID verification: $2.50 per verification, or $1.50 with Premium or BetterSTR Simple.
- Phone verification: 10c per verification.
- House rules acceptance: free.
- Security deposit holds: no BetterSTR fee; Stripe fees apply on your own Stripe account.
The guidebook itself is free forever. Full prices are on the pricing page.
Making ID checks painless for guests
- Say so in the listing. One line in the house rules, before booking, avoids surprises. On Airbnb it must be in the House rules and requests section: from 20 November 2026, rules added later by message don't count.
- Explain why. “Our building requires guest ID” or “local law requires us to register guests” lands far better than silence.
- Attach it to something they want. Guests complete a check quickly when it stands between them and the door code.
- Send the link a few days ahead, so nobody is scanning a passport on the doorstep in the rain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask an Airbnb guest for a copy of their ID?
For bookings made on or after 20 November 2026, only in limited cases. Airbnb's Reasonable House Rules policy lets hosts collect ID or personal information on a separate site or app only where the law or a documented building or community association rule requires it, or to facilitate a contract Airbnb allows. Hosts can still check ID in person at check-in if it is disclosed in the listing's requests, but cannot keep a copy outside those exceptions. Never ask for passport photos through the message thread. Check Airbnb's current help centre rules before you start.
Does Airbnb show hosts the guest's ID?
No. Airbnb runs its own identity checks on guests and may show that a guest has completed them, but hosts do not see the document itself, and what the check covers varies by country and has changed over time. It also covers the person who booked, not everyone staying.
How much does guest ID verification cost with BetterSTR?
ID verification is $2.50 per verification on the free digital guidebook, or $1.50 with Premium or BetterSTR Simple. Phone verification is 10c, terms acceptance is free, and security deposit holds have no BetterSTR fee (Stripe fees apply). There is no monthly fee for verification.