[yomly]

As an AirBnB host I'm not all that cool with letting out my apartment for a day to someone who won't share some form of proof of identity.

As an engineer I get the privacy concerns so I'm split on which way I sit on this fence but I trust in a large tech company like AirBnB to get security right - so on balance the short term risks of someone abusing my flat outweigh my long term risks of someone getting my passport data.

[pjc50]

It's really only the online part of it that's trouble; many hotels will make a note of your passport or similar at the front desk when you register. I think it may even be required by law in some places in Europe.

There's a great difference between a photocopy in a safe and a photo of ID on the internet. The one in the safe is much harder to steal in bulk.

[st3v3r]

In many cases, aren't the owners of the house not around when the guest shows up?

[rgbrgb]

In this case, the website is the front desk.

[atirip]

Why the identity? Insurance pays.

[DanBC]

Insurance may not pay if the homeowner has invited the guest in.

Many home insurance claims in the UK are not paid: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35401104

There are plenty of cases of people in the UK being robbed by eg cleaners and insurance doesn't pay.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05qvn36

> Last week Money Box heard from a listener who was surprised to find that her home contents insurance did not cover her for theft by a cleaner. Money Box listeners have told us that insurers seem confused about whether you are covered if carers and home helps steal from you. An insurance expert tells Money Box how you can find out.

(They misuse the word "carer" here, which should only be used about people who provide unpaid care. They mean something like "care worker".)

[atirip]

https://www.airbnb.com/host-protection-insurance

[DanBC]

Doesn't appear to cover a bunch of stuff.

> Some examples of what the Host Protection Insurance program doesn’t cover:

> Intentional acts where liability isn’t the result of an accident.

EG, theft.

[mc32]

Because insurance is a hassle? Who wants to go through the process of being righted after being wronged? Getting wronged to be reimbursed is not the business model most renters are seeking when they put up a property on AB&B.

[atirip]

So what do you prefer? Hunting them down and beating them up with your own fists? Hire some tough guys? Is that really easier?

But i was really referencing AirBnB insurance....

[mc32]

Ok let's say you had a delivery business and have all the insurance necessary. You're saying you're equally likely to use a driver who has a history of careless driving as you would a driver who has a history of driving safely because you're covered by insurance.

I'm claiming people are seeking avoidance. People would rather have the deterrent effect, so that they might avoid the hassles of going through claims and then waiting for things to be righted.

[yomly]

Identity provides deterrence from things ever reaching that state.

Having your passport or ID saved would make you think twice about committing some kind of crime

[pjc50]

Does it? I get the impression many AirBnB renters are doing so with just regular home insurance, which may ban subletting.