Identity validation in the holiday letting industry – why and how?

By Sarah Croft | February 5, 2025 | Digital identity, Fraud prevention, Identity verification, Other

At TrustID, we’re speaking to an increasing number of short-term and holiday letting companies who are adopting our identity verification services to validate the identity of both guests and owners. Validating this information starts with capturing and verifying identity documents such as passports or driving licences and matching those documents against a selfie image of the holder.

Why verify identity documents?

Many booking sites are choosing to verify identities to protect their properties and foster a safer and more trustworthy environment for both guests and owners. Having a robust identity check in place helps to protect hosts and property owners and build trust across the lettings community by reducing the risk of fraud.

What are the key benefits identity validation can bring in the holiday letting industry?

Protect against fraud

Lettings fraud can take many forms, from visitors registering under a false identity to scammers taking the details and images from legitimate adverts on one platform and replicating it on another. A comprehensive identification system is one of the simplest and most effective first steps to tackle fraud. It deters fraudulent activity by ensuring users are real people acting as themselves, not creating fake accounts.

Hosts are protected from guest fraud and it drives greater confidence amongst prospective guests that the properties they are renting belong to legitimate hosts, leading to them being more likely to choose a property.

Enhance Security

Every host has heard horror stories about rentals gone wrong. A reliable identity verification system can help to deter guests who might want to hide their true identities and when guests are asked to confirm their identity details, it encourages them to feel more responsible for looking after the property. For hosts, this means fewer chances of hosting problematic guests who leave behind damages or engage in illegal activities under your roof and allows them to solve disputes more easily.

An identity check also significantly reduces a host’s liability in the event of any incidents which may happen. By keeping a record of verified identities, hosts have a reliable account of who was staying at their property and when. This provides a clear audit trail which could be crucial to support insurance claims and legal disputes. It also reduces the possibility of chargebacks and disputes resulting from fraudulent transactions, protecting a host’s income and reputation.

Improve Compliance

Following the new regulations introduced by HM Revenue & Customs, self-catering agencies and online booking platforms are now required to collect certain personal details from individual property owners. Identity verification software gives an easy way to meet this requirement consistently and efficiently.

How do identity verification checks work?

Our software works by requiring potential guests and hosts to complete identity checks during the registration or booking confirmation process. They are asked to scan their identity documents and a selfie image. There’s nothing to download and applicants can use their mobile phone or tablet device from anywhere. The software uses technology to validate the documents and compare the photo on the ID with the selfie – supported by human experts where necessary – to assess whether the host or guest is the person they claim to be.

So, if you’re looking to build greater protection and trust into your holiday lets organisation, why not consider joining other holiday businesses using TrustID and invest in a robust identity verification system?

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