Category: Autohost AI

In the short-term rental industry, guest screening is the key to successful and responsible hosting. But to some, guest screening means fewer bookings, lower revenue, wasted time and high overhead costs—an unappealing concoction that causes unnecessary stress.

In reality, proper guest screening will actually save you time and money, while boosting your revenues. Without a process in place, your company, properties and property owners are left vulnerable to damage, fraud, parties, noise violations and criminal activity. It’s a sure-fire way to wind up with a hefty bill. And even if your property gets off scot-free, noisy or disrespectful guests can destroy your company’s reputation in the community, costing you in the long run.

Guest screening is the best way to protect yourself from incidents occurring in your suites. But not only that, by knowing exactly who’s booking your properties, you can actually increase your company’s revenue and decrease wasted efforts. Guest screening allows you to remove booking restrictions and accept last-minute reservations from high-paying travellers. Not every down-to-the-wire reservation screams disaster—leniency paired with guest screening can open the doors to incredible guests. In turn, you’ll see fuller calendars and higher daily rates.

Most importantly, respectful guests make for better experiences for everyone involved. By hosting responsibly, you’ll be able to maintain relationships with your neighbours and building staff. At the end of the day, a credible property management company (with a good reputation) is more likely to attract new clients.

A good process for guest screening will alleviate you and your employees from the headaches of stressful and potentially damaging situations. You can make late-night noise complaints, parties and trashed suites a thing of the past. Instead, spend more time onboarding new properties, increasing profits and revenues, and building relationships with your guests.

The question is: How do you efficiently screen guests? When most people think of guest screening, they equate it with cumbersome background checks. But screening guests is a simple, non-intrusive, non-discriminatory and legal way to guard your operations.

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Here’s how to do it:

1. Set expectations

The first step in screening is to set expectations for the guest. To make sure the host and the guest are on the same page, find out why the guest is travelling and what their plans are in the city. This helps you get a sense of what type of guest they’ll be.

After you have that information, clarify your house rules and ensure the guest fully understands and agrees to them. It’s also important to confirm that the guest knows exactly what they’ve booked (a rental suite in a residential area, not a hotel). By setting expectations with the guest, you have a much better chance of weeding out those who don’t agree with your booking terms, instead locking down good guests and 5-star reviews.

2. Know Your Guest Airbnb

Knowing your guest is a crucial part of Airbnb hosting. It’s not just about screening for potential issues, but also about understanding their needs and preferences. This is a proactive way to enhance the guest experience and receive positive reviews in return.

To get to know your guest better, engage in friendly conversation prior to their arrival. Inquire about their travel purpose, preferences, and special requirements if any. If they’re visiting your city for the first time, offer them tips and recommendations on local attractions or popular restaurants. Demonstrating a personal interest not only helps in establishing a strong rapport but also provides subtle ways to gauge if the guest aligns with your hosting standards.

3. Confirm details

Next, you need to confirm the guest’s reservation details. Verify their story with a little fact-checking. Have them tell you their name, contact information, and exactly how many guests are coming. Look out for any discrepancies or details that don’t add up. Two guests staying in a three-bedroom on a Saturday night during a big event sends an immediate red flag.

Confirm with the guest whether or not there will be additional people staying overnight, and if so, register the extra guests. Make sure to get everyone’s information—names, phone numbers and email addresses. Asking for these details will protect your properties against costly incidents.

4. Research online

Check out the guest’s online presence to learn more about them. Try googling the guest’s name and phone number, track down their social media accounts and carefully examine their booking profiles.

5. Verify IDs

Verify the guest’s ID so you know with confidence that they are who they say they are. Bonus: If someone is just booking your space to throw a party, they likely won’t want to go through the hassle of providing their ID.

Related post: “Why ID verification is not enough to protect your hospitality business”

6. Validate payment

Along with their ID, the guest should also provide their credit card information for validation. It’s important to verify that the credit card isn’t fake or flagged as stolen—short-term rentals are prime targets for credit card fraud. To guarantee payment, have guests pay 100% of the booking fee up front, then process the payment immediately.

7. Collect security deposits

Even if the guest’s ID and payment checks out, accidents happen in the short-term rental industry. You can’t be left on the hook for a damaged apartment. Guests need to be held accountable for their actions. That’s why you should always collect a security deposit from the guest. If something is broken, you won’t be held responsible. Collecting security deposits will also deter guests who are booking your property for a party.

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8. Sign rental agreements

Every guest who books with you should sign a rental agreement, committing to your house rules and standards. This keeps the guest accountable for their actions.

9. Pay attention to high-risk properties & dates

During the reservation process, identify and monitor higher risk properties. Typically, properties with a high occupancy are targeted for parties. If a guest is trying to book a high occupancy suite, double check their details. Watch for younger groups from nearby communities who book for a single night stay. It is particularly important to be vigilant during any big, city-wide events. People tend to book short-term rentals for parties around holidays like New Year’s Eve, Labour Day weekend and any other special festivities.

10. Monitor the stay

To make sure all of your bases are covered, set up in-suite noise sensors. That way, if noise levels exceed a certain threshold, you can deescalate the situation before it gets out of control. On the other hand, a spike in volume could be as innocent as someone watching TV too loudly—before you call security, get in touch with the guest to reiterate the house rules.

11. Cancel suspicious reservations

If the guest disagrees with your booking terms or doesn’t reply to your messages, you should offer them a cancellation free of charge, including all booking fees. This will ensure that unwanted guests don’t clog your calendar, keeping it open for good guests.

12. How to Screen Long Term Booking Guests on Airbnb

Long-term bookings require an additional level of scrutiny as they potentially come with more wear and tear for your property. It’s important to adjust your screening process accordingly to protect your assets.
Start by verifying the guest’s reason for the long-term stay. Are they relocating, on an extended holiday, or in town for a lengthy work assignment? Understanding their circumstances will give you insights into their potential behavior and care for your property.

Next, check their previous Airbnb reviews and ratings. Long-term guests should ideally have a consistent track record of positive reviews. Also, request for references from their previous hosts if possible.

Finally, conduct a video call or in-person meeting if geographically feasible. This allows you to assess their demeanor and attitude towards your property rules. Remember, a long-term guest will be using your property as their home, so it’s crucial they respect and care for it as their own.

13. Intelligent Guest Screening

Leveraging technology and data can significantly enhance your guest screening process. This is where intelligent guest screening comes into play. It uses AI-driven algorithms and machine learning to analyze potential red flags in guest profiles.

Intelligent guest screening tools can assess the risk factor of guests by examining various data points from their online presence, such as social media activity, to their behavior during previous stays. They can also cross-verify the guest’s identity, validate payments, and check the provided details against global databases for any criminal history or fraudulent activities.

Keep in mind that while these tools offer a layer of protection and efficiency, they should be used in combination with your traditional screening methods. The human element is irreplaceable in understanding guest intentions and maintaining strong host-guest relationships. Always ensure any screening method you use complies with local laws and respects guests’ privacy rights.

With an effective guest screening process, you should be certain that the guests are who they say they are. Don’t lose sleep worrying about your property. Have confidence in your guest screening, and trust your decisions.

Or try Autohost

Taking these steps will ensure your property doesn’t end up as a highlight on the evening news. But checking all of these details can be time consuming and leaves a margin for error. That’s why you need Autohost. Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, Autohost uses hundreds of tests and data points to collect and validate guests’ IDs. Before guests are confirmed, Autohost ensures they sign a rental agreement and provide a security deposit.

If any information seems suspicious, Autohost flags the reservation as risky, notifying your team and providing suggested actions. When you’re protected by Autohost, you can drop your booking restrictions and accept last-minute reservations. By trusting in the process, you’ll enjoy the highest average daily rates you’ve ever experienced.

With its thorough guest screening, Autohost saves you an unparalleled amount of time. Don’t waste hours searching a guest’s name on social media. Instead, devote more time to expanding your property portfolio and bringing in higher revenues.

Guest screening is the best way to protect yourself against liabilities. Even one incident can be detrimental. So, why take the risk? Make sure you know exactly who’s renting your property.

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For more information on Autohost, check out our blog on why we built Autohost.

Introducing Hassle-Free Guest Management

Autohost simplifies guest screening with AI analysis, digital contracts, and automated check-in, making guest management a breeze.

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In the rental industry, you’ve probably heard operators and fellow property managers throw around the term “background check.” Typically, this is used as an umbrella term that includes different types of information searches.These searches are particularly prevalent among long-term rentals where the rental agreement is a bigger commitment, and untrustworthy tenants are far too costly. To protect themselves, long-term rental companies perform deep background checks, which include verifying a potential tenant’s identity, checking their credit score to make sure they’re in good standing, calling employers to confirm their employment history and yearly income, requesting bank statements to make sure they can afford the rent, finding out where they currently live and why they’re moving, calling former landlords to get a sense of whether they’re an agreeable tenant, and, if they’re really serious, a criminal record check.

This extensive list requires a huge time investment, additional costs ranging from $20 -$50 per person, not to mention consent from the potential tenant and the assistance of multiple external sources, like employers, landlords, and the police in the case of a criminal record check. While it would be ideal if short-term rentals could operate at a similar level, the industry is often too fast-paced to go to these lengths.

Related post: Does Vrbo Do Background Checks? The Complete Guide

With such frequent turnovers, you have to rely heavily on information provided by the online travel agencies (OTAs), which is limited to the guest’s name, date of arrival, length of stay and other non-personally identifiable information.

Short term rental guest screening

That’s why it’s important for short-term rental companies to perform their own version of a background check: a thorough guest screening. Short-term rental companies should have a streamlined process to properly screen guests, set house expectations and collect personally identifiable information that abides by all privacy laws. In doing this, you need to verify the guest’s ID and payment method, research the guest’s booking history and gather pertinent trip details, such as where the guest is travelling from, the reason for their stay and how many guests will be joining them.

Related post: Why ID verification is not enough to protect your hospitality business

Understanding the Difference: Background Checks and Guest Screening

Background checks and guest screening might seem like two sides of the same coin, but they cater to distinctly different needs. While a background check involves an exhaustive probe into a potential tenant’s history, guest screening is a more streamlined and customized check designed to suit the fast-paced short-term rental industry. Understanding this difference is crucial for property managers to deploy the right safety measures.

The Limitations and Costs of Background Checks in the Short-term Rental Sector

Conducting a thorough short-term rentals background check can be a cumbersome process. It requires significant time, financial resources, and the involvement of multiple external parties. Additionally, gaining the necessary consents can also be challenging. Given the transient nature of the short-term rental industry, these obstacles make full-scale background checks a less feasible option.

Online background check for rentals

An effective AI based, online guest screening process is the best guard against risky reservations. By confirming a guest’s identity and examining their previous booking history, property managers can reduce the likelihood of rule violations, property damage, and even fraud. A diligent screening not only protects your property but also ensures the security and satisfaction of your guests.

The Role of Responsible Renting in Maintaining Peace in the Community

Guest screening is not just about securing individual properties. It also plays a significant role in maintaining harmony within the community. By keeping out potential troublemakers, responsible renting helps to minimize neighborhood disturbances. It sends out a message that as property managers, we value the peace and security of our neighbors as much as our guests’ comfort.

Guest Screening: The Non-Intrusive, Legal and Non-Discriminatory Way to Safeguard Your Properties

Guest screening is a delicate process that respects the rights and privacy of the guests while keeping properties secure. It is a legal, non-discriminatory, and non-intrusive way to evaluate potential guests. By focusing on the essentials and maintaining transparency, we can ensure that the screening process is fair to all parties involved. And when we get it right, everyone – from property owners and managers to guests and local communities – can benefit.

This will help you avoid dealing with situations like a 20-person party, a trashed unit and your cleaner quitting on you mid-day because they’re overworked and tired. By verifying the guest’s identity and ensuring they’re exactly who they say they are, you can avoid these risky reservations and protect yourself against rule violations, parties, loss of revenue, property damage, credit card fraud and identity theft.

But even with the guests that do pass the screening process, it’s still important to set expectations. This will ensure that there’s no room for any misunderstandings. Property managers should have guests review and agree to all of the short-term rental’s house rules, holding guests accountable for their actions. Guests who violate the rules should be evicted; no questions asked.

In the short-term rental industry, guest screening is the only way to protect your properties. It’s also our duty as operators to rent responsibly, thereby keeping our neighbourhoods and communities nuisance- and disturbance-free.

Running a full background check on your guests, much like a long-term rental, is too costly and complicated for the short-term rental operator. So, next time a property owner inquires about background checks, set the record straight. Responsible property management companies perform accurate, systematic and fair screenings of guests because that’s the non-intrusive, legal and non-discriminatory way to guard your operations. With proper and responsible guest screening, your neighbours, building staff and communities will thank you.

In a perfect world, we would only host quiet and considerate guests, who respected our property, neighbours and community. But unfortunately, that’s not always our reality—property managers see everything from noise violations and property damage to chargebacks and criminal activity.

As savvy and experienced operators, we understood the importance of guest screening. We collected personal information, researched the guest online and focused on deliberate interactions—we thought we had a solid process in place. But even with everything we were doing to protect ourselves, we were targeted by criminals, who booked our suites for illegal activity.

After processing thousands of reservations, and wasting time and money on unsuccessful guest screening, we had a rude awakening. Our best practices weren’t enough and we needed to do better.

To fight back against troublesome guests, we built Autohost, an intelligent guest screening software. No more bad guests.

The Background:

Every host and property manager has seen it before: a seemingly normal guest books through an online travel agency (OTA), throws a party, trashes the place and causes thousands of dollars in damage, or worse. By now, we know there’s much more to hosting than crafting a perfect guest experience.

Proper guest screening is the responsibility of every short-term rental operator. To keep our neighbourhoods and communities safe, property management companies need to set expectations with guests, assess risks, enforce house rules, and most importantly, hold guests accountable for their actions.

Autohost was built to solve a major problem in the short-term rental industry: It’s impossible to manually screen every guest while running and growing a property management company. Our team was wasting 70% of their time on a penetrable guest screening process. Like us, property managers everywhere deal with safety and security gaps in their operations.

With experience in the industry, we’ve seen the struggles property managers face on a day-to-day basis. At the beginning, we had just a few check-ins, so it was pretty easy to get a handle on who we were hosting. With less turnover, we had the time to invest in guest screening, vetting and communications. By having longer interactions with guests, we were able to learn more about their travel plans, set expectations and, as a result, decrease the risk of damage, noise complaints and house rules violations.

But as our check-ins increased, so did the risks to our business. We moved to instant book and expanded to platforms beyond Airbnb, meaning we suddenly had less control over who booked our suites.

We were hosting tons of people from all over the world, and though most were great, a few bad apples kept us on edge 24/7. As topline operators, we knew it was our responsibility to prevent unnecessary nuisances in our neighbourhoods by monitoring our guests’ behaviour. Our team desperately needed an accurate, systematic and non-discriminatory way to protect our clients, properties, business and community against bad guests.

What We Were Doing:

To safeguard our operations, we developed a manual process for screening new guests. This involved looking at different parameters from a checklist and researching the guest online.

Our agents would comb through various pieces of information, searching for anything that made us suspicious of the guest or their reason for travelling. We would look at everything—cost of reservation, length of stay, the number of guests and even which suites they booked.

After manually examining every piece of information associated with the booking, we would check out the guest’s online presence. To validate identities, we’d spend hours googling guest names and phone numbers, scrolling through photos on social media and carefully examining booking profiles. This wasted a lot of time, and left a huge margin for error. Often, our searches didn’t yield any results, or worse, gave us a false positive.

We’d keep a closer eye on high-risk reservations and guests—like the 21-year-old man who booked a 3-bedroom condo “for him and his girlfriend” to “see the city”. If something raised a red flag throughout the screening process, we’d reach out to the guest for additional information.

Guests would be asked to confirm their reservation details and agree to our house rules. We’d send out warning messages to higher-risk guests, ensuring they understood the consequences of any violations. Before sending out check-in instructions, guests had to provide us with a copy of their ID and credit card. If we were suspicious of someone, we’d get them on a phone call to better assess the situation. Sometimes, we’d even go as far as meeting guests in person to verify our previous interactions. In cases where we couldn’t confirm the guest’s information, we’d cancel the reservation.

The Challenge:

Since starting out, our reservations have skyrocketed. With new guests checking in and out everyday, guest screening became way too time-consuming, incredibly expensive and highly inaccurate. This made it easy for troublesome guests to slip through the cracks, particularly when we had our guard down, even if it was temporary.

To keep up with the influx of bookings, we expanded our team and increased the hours dedicated to processing reservations and screening guests. Sometimes, agents would spend 70% of their shift worrying about safety and security, taking away from the goal—providing a world-class experience for guests.

A bigger team helped with volume, but made it more difficult to manage guest screening. Even with procedures in place, every agent to join the team increased the likelihood of discrimination and human error. With hundreds of factors to consider and an increased number of bookings, it was easy to overlook details. Missing information could lead to wrong decisions, resulting in disrespectful guests, rule violations and unhappy neighbours.

To make matters worse, the only details we got from the reservation were from the booking site, not the guest. We had no control over what information was provided and lacked a platform for the guest to disclose additional information.

Details like names of extra guests, time of check-in and reason for staying are required by some municipal and building by-laws and mandated by insurance providers. To get these missing pieces, we had to collect them ourselves, causing friction in the booking process, massive headaches and overhead expenses, all while exposing us to privacy issues.

We did our best to prevent house rule violations through strict screening, but this ended up deterring bookers, causing us to lose out on amazing guests and higher revenue potential. When we were more lenient, we came across issues of noise complaints, chargebacks, fraud, property damage and even criminal activity.

It was more instinctual to focus on customer service instead of security, which meant we were more reactive than proactive. If we booked disrespectful guests, we shifted to damage control. And when things went south, we’d have to dispatch our security team to lockdown the suite, resulting in unnecessary costs.

 

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The Need:

As our company evolved, our guest screening process got more and more convoluted. With too many small details and judgment calls at play, it became essential for us to systemize. We knew there was a better way to protect our communities. We just needed a system to accurately assess all factors associated with a guest’s reservation in order to screen them properly. It was time to eliminate the decision element.

The Solution:

With Autohost, we created a systemized way of screening all guests. Upon booking confirmation, guests are sent into a dedicated portal. From there, the intelligent guest screening software builds a risk algorithm that examines hundreds of parameters, including IP addresses, device type and cell phone carrier. As an extra layer of security, we verify IDs, collect security deposits and have guests sign a rental agreement.

With our dynamic verification, we provide property managers and their teams with easy-to-interpret results. Based on these results, Autohost suggests actions, so agents can be confident in their responses to all types of reservations. With Autohost’s recommendations, we’ve eliminated the judgment call—removing the possibility of personal bias and discrimination. In with the good guests and out with the bad guests.

How Autohost Helps:

Autohost scans every reservation that comes into your system and automatically generates an intelligent risk score, which provides your team with actionable outputs. With these, you understand the risks and know exactly what to look for. Whether it’s sending the guest a warning message, reiterating house rules, or even calling the guest on the phone, you know how to proceed.

Before confirming the guest’s stay, wait for their response. They can either accept the conditions for booking or cancel—it’s as simple as that.

The Results:

Since creating Autohost, we’ve seen a 15% increase in revenue. With a higher risk tolerance, we can remove stricter booking restrictions from our OTAs. Fewer restrictions = more bookings. At the same time, we’ve decreased noise complaints and property damage, and reduced the risk of fraud, chargebacks and criminal activity. It’s a win-win.

By removing the decision factor from guest screening, we crafted a simple, transferable process that’s easy to pass on to new agents. We started making better use of our time, while saving thousands of dollars by reducing chargebacks and processing costs.

Thanks to Autohost, our team and clients have more confidence in our operations. Through each dedicated building portal, owners and property management companies can see every guest who has been successfully verified. With every risk-free check-in, we’re able to prove our dedication to responsible hosting. In turn, we bring in more properties under management.

The best part? With the time and money we save on tedious guest screening processes, we can focus our attention on what really matters—5-star hospitality.

Learn how Autohost can help you.

Running a short-term rental business on a platform like Vrbo takes trust. With each booking, you invite the potential for destructive parties, loud and anti-social visitors, fraud, Vrbo scams, and even criminal activity, all of which could put your business at risk.

 

If you have property listings on Vrbo, you can lower the risk of bad guest behavior by understanding how Vrbo ID verification works—and figuring out if it’s enough to safeguard your business.

With proper safety protocols in place, you’ll gain happier guests and a more profitable, professional, and scalable business. After reading this guide, you’ll understand how Vrbo ID verification works and how to perform even better background checks to maximize trust and minimize risk.

Want to perform in-depth ID verifications on your bookings on Vrbo?
Autohost performs advanced guest vetting processes to minimize risk of unwanted occupants with disruptive behavior or financial red flags.
Request a demo.

What is Vrbo ID verification?

Vrbo ID verification is a basic security check on the Vrbo platform intended to verify that guests are who they say they are. 

Vrbo (formerly HomeAway) uses data such as a guest’s email address, date of birth, and physical address to perform basic Vrbo background checks to increase the chance that booked guests are who they claim to be.

ID checks are intended to give peace of mind to Vrbo hosts and attach a “paper trail” to the guest. It helps establish trust because guests are more likely to be conscientious if they’re willing to be identified: they know they can be tracked if they cause expensive damage or engage in criminal activity.

Vrbo isn’t the only platform to offer ID checks—Airbnb ID verification works in a very similar way.

How does Vrbo ID verification work?

If you’re wondering whether Vrbo ID verification is robust enough for your business then it may help to take a closer look at the process, see how it works, and what details are required to officially verify a user and guest.

Here’s how the Vrbo ID verification process works.

How do users get verified?

Users can complete the verification process by creating an account on Vrbo, logging in, and providing the information requested.

Once verified, this shows on the guest’s profile, and hosts can see the verification status. Usually, the user only needs to complete the process once.

What details does Vrbo ID verification need?

Vrbo asks for details including first and last name, email address, mobile phone number, physical address, and date of birth.

For example, once a user signs up to Vrbo using their email address, they’ll receive an email at that address asking them to confirm it via a unique link. Their email is only confirmed once the link is clicked (proving the account really belongs to them, or they have access to it, at least).

 

 

 

However, unlike some more thorough processes—such as hotel background checks—Vrbo verification doesn’t always require photo ID (such as a passport or driver’s license), or personal details such as physical proof of address.

The information requested is pretty basic.

Do users have to provide identifications?

No, although Vrbo does recommend it. 

Vrbo states: “Currently, there’s no way for a property owner or manager to require a guest to confirm their identity before sending a booking request” 

Hosts can’t see the details of a guest’s verification, only whether or not they have a verification badge on their profile.

Vrbo only requires users to provide identification in some countries where it’s legally mandatory, such as in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. These countries require vacation rental site owners to share the ID of each person staying with the local authorities 24 hours after arrival.

This is the major issue with Vrbo’s ID process. In countries with less stringent laws on short-term rentals, guests can book places without having a verified profile, or submitting any proof of address or photo ID.

Even though it’s technically legal, this is less than ideal for hosts, as it opens them up to major risks in case of damage or problematic behavior from the guest. It limits the traceability of the guest and is fairly basic in terms of proper background checks and screening.

Does the host get to see the guest’s ID?

No, on Vrbo the host or cohost only sees whether the user is verified or not. This protects the guest’s privacy, which is a valid concern, but it also opens the host up to potential issues as they can’t verify the guest’s ID or background themselves, or see which details have been verified.

This means there are still major risks and uncertainties over the guest’s identity and trustworthiness, and a lack of details should the host need to contact or identify the guest later.

This is where a STR security platform like Autohost helps, as hosts can see everything that the platform finds to prove the guest’s identity (while still respecting the guest’s privacy and data protection laws). You’ll have more peace of mind knowing that the guest is legitimate and traceable, and therefore more likely to be respectful while staying at your property.

When does Vrbo ask for ID verification?

Vrbo asks for verification when users sign up. Later, it may ask for ID when users request to book a property. However, the details requested are limited, and it doesn’t pass much of the information along to the host for verification.

Similarly, email verification is only done once on sign-up, and not for each subsequent booking, meaning that it may not always be up to date.

Is Vrbo ID verification reliable for hosts?

Vrbo ID verification is certainly better than nothing but it’s not robust enough for serious hosts who want to fully protect their property and trust their guests. 

The lack of information it requires, and the ease with which users can get “verified” with relatively little data, means that it’s not as reliable as it could be. Perhaps this explains why it has a low customer rating on Trustpilot.

 

How can I improve my ID verification process?

You can improve your ID verification process by using a dedicated cybersecurity platform designed for it, like Autohost. This will always offer more reliable checks than an online travel agency (OTA) like Vrbo.

A comprehensive security check will flag major issues such as guests trying to book using a fake ID or those who present a financial or legal risk. Here are all the ways a STR security platform can enhance your process.

Guest screening

• Intelligent guest screening using AI to analyze each booking and assess the risk level
• Verification of the guests’ photo ID, matched with a selfie
• Background checks, including a search of criminal databases and sex offender records
• Credit checks for financial protection and to ensure the guest is of good financial standing

Fraud and incident prevention

• Chargeback protection, and flagging of any suspicious attempts by the guest to avoid identification, or attempt identity theft
• Security damage deposits to validate payments and prevent chargebacks
• Legally-binding digital contracts and rental agreements requiring the guest to acknowledge and accept your house rules
• Verification that there are not too many people in the property via integration with NoiseAware occupancy monitors, which can send alerts in case of a breach

The checks are automated with each booking, meaning that you can consistently perform checks for every guest without adding to your workload.

Local compliance

Collect guest info to comply with any short-term rental regulations and authority requirements

Online, secure check-in

• Collect personal information directly, ahead of time
• Process and verify check-ins without needing to be on-site at the time
• Automated messaging dependent on the guest’s ID status, only sending check-in information to guests who pass the verification and answer your questions for guests in a satisfactory way

Want to perform in-depth ID verifications on your bookings on Vrbo?
Autohost performs advanced guest vetting processes to minimize risk.
Request a demo.

These features help you to:

• Protect your property from damage caused by reckless guests
• Prevent visitors from lying about the number of guests
• Reduce the potential downtime and loss of revenue caused by damage and repairs
• Trace guests in case of problems or insurance claims
• Reduce the risk of noisy, destructive parties that could damage your property, disturb the neighbors or cause police to be called
• Ensure you don’t unwittingly enable criminal activity
• Ensure you comply with all local laws on short-term stays and rental guests

A high level of checks will likely dissuade guests who might otherwise risk being problematic or noisy, conduct criminal activity, or treat the property disrespectfully. Unlike respectful guests, these guests won’t appreciate the extra questioning and requirements, meaning they’ll likely cancel with you, and go elsewhere.

But for reliable guests, this increases trust between you and reassures them that they are being cared for by a professional, safe host.

A specially-designed platform like Autohost will go beyond Vrbo’s basic ID checks, and can help identify partiers, criminals, fraudsters, and problematic potential guests before they even arrive—but without infringing on guests’ privacy.

Vrbo ID verification: Is it enough for your business?

Ultimately, Vrbo ID verification offers a basic level of verification for guests that may request to book your short-term rental property.

However, it’s unlikely to be comprehensive or reliable enough to protect your property in the event of any real problems or risks, or operate it with the level of safety, security, and professionalism that you need.

A platform such as Autohost offers a solution to these issues. 

It offers a variety of automated AI-, database- and security-led checks, so you can prevent damage, downtime, and criminal activity. You’ll also save money and boost revenue, improve your relationship with guests, and ensure real peace of mind for you and your visitors.

Want to perform in-depth ID verifications on your bookings on Vrbo?
Autohost performs advanced guest vetting processes to minimize risk.
Request a demo.

Frequently asked questions about Vrbo ID verification

Is it normal for Vrbo to ask for ID?

It’s normal for Vrbo and Airbnb to ask for ID, but the data they require is very limited. Vrbo doesn’t systematically ask or require ID for guests, such as via photo documents. It does ask for verification of some data, such as your name and email address, and even your physical address.

Are Vrbo rental guests verified?

Vrbo rental guests can be verified using data such as their name, date of birth, physical address, and email address. But it’s not mandatory in most countries, leaving hosts open to increased risk. Verification using dedicated platforms designed for this task, such as Autohost, can verify guests to a much higher level of security.

How does Vrbo verify the age of the renter?

Vrbo identifies the age of the renter by asking for your birth date. In its terms of service, Vrbo has a minimum age requirement. It states you must be at least 18 years of age and able to enter into legally binding contracts to use its booking site and book a stay.

How long does it take Vrbo to verify ID?

Vrbo doesn’t take long to verify ID, because it is based on basic information such as name, email address, and birth date. However, doing deeper more effective background checks and guest screening doesn’t have to take a long time either. Platforms such as Autohost can automate it, making it quick, automatic, and scalable, without extra work.

Can you lie about your age on Vrbo?

Yes, technically you can lie about your age on Vrbo because it doesn’t require you to submit any photo ID or documents to prove your age. It would be illegal, go against Vrbo’s terms of service, and be considered fraud to lie—but guests can do it if they give inaccurate information.

It’s arguably better and safer to use in-depth background screening and a dedicated platform such as Autohost to avoid the risk of users lying or providing inaccurate information in an attempt to circumvent the system.