Providing proof of identity when renting in Europe

Very common and in some countries required by law. And there is nothing on a passport that anyone can use for identity theft or fraud. I won't pretend there isn't racism or discrimination in Europe. If that's what you are encountering, hopefully the US passport will allay their fears... I've traveled with Americans of different races before. Back when border checks were the norm, the border agents would usually just glimpse at our American passports and move on. But every so often, the border agents would see this person of a different race and demand their passport - then seeing it was an American passport would stop and say, "Oh American, ok..."

Sure, common. Actually very little information in a copy of a passport. Send it.

Thank you, that helps. We were a touch worried that it was because of my husband's name. Amy

Thank you!

I was nervous about sending a copy of my passport when I rented a house in France and an Apartment in Italy, but it was the norm. Perhaps you can Phone them at some point so they can hear that you are simply American tourists looking forward to staying in there rental apartment.

We've sent the passports and are waiting on the reply. No doubt we will talk with her on the phone at some point, too, and maybe that should be me, since I don't have a Pakistani accent, lol. I'm sure you're all correct that being US citizens and tourists helps. A European friend of mine told me that the resentment Europeans feel is more against their own immigrant communities than against US tourists who are Muslim or people of color. Still, the fact that we were literally unable to rent anything at all in Munich is bothersome, to say the least, and makes me a bit paranoid about people's intentions. That's why I wondered about the passport business, but if that's the usual procedure, then great. She's still dealing with us after knowing our name, so it's probably fine.

"we have been unable to rent at all in Munich (no one responded to our enquiries). " Are you trying to rent during Oktoberfest? That may be the reason. I quickly googled "Ferienwohnung München" and I found no shortage of offerings.

No, we're trying to rent in June. It's not that there is nothing available. There is a lot. We found 4 or 5 places that would suit us in our price range through websites like homeaway.com. The calendar showed them as being available on our dates. We sent email enquiries listing both my husband's name and mine through the website and got no replies. One place had a phone number listed, so I called. Before knowing who I was, the lady told me her assistant would be in touch in a few days. Then she asked the name on the email. When I told her, she said, actually she was in the hospital. I said I'm sorry, so you don't want to rent the apartment? Then she told me it would be better if I "looked elsewhere." That conversation in itself was just very odd, but combined with the fact that not one of our 4-5 emails to Munich got a reply (and these are places that are offered for rent and whose calendars still show that they are available throughout May, June, and July), it's just weird. We've gotten prompt friendly replies using the same website in other cities like Berlin and Salzburg. I'm truly not one to cry discrimination in general, but we've taken Munich off our itinerary, simply because we can't find lodgings for our family there. I'm not even extremely upset about it; I understand that there is a lot of fear. I'm just glad to be reassured that the lady in Cologne who wants to see our passports isn't asking anything out of the ordinary. :)

Hello, try renting through an agency such as Airbnb. Maybe a little easier using a third party site. There is an agency fee, but compared to the ease of paying in advance with your Visa, it was worth it for us. When I booked all our apartment rentals, everything is under my name. They didn't ask for my husbands, I just had to indicate how many adults and how many children.
Good luck on your search, and travels.

Hi Amy- I am renting in Rome and had to send her a photo of each of our passports. She wanted that instead of a deposit. Plus I am active on trip advisor for the past 6 years and so is she. So I gave her my trip advisor name so that she could get a feel for us and my reviews of places I have been. I also sent out about 15 requests for July in Munich and heard back from one place. So I just opted to stay at The Tent. I thought it would be a different experience for my kids to see other budget travelers. Also to hear the stories from college age travelers to inspire them to continue to travel alone after high school and into college. Happy Travels!

Thanks, Stacy. Interesting that you couldn't find anything in Munich either. Maybe I'm doing that lady an injustice, who knows? Enjoy your trip!

"Thanks, Stacy. Interesting that you couldn't find anything in Munich either. Maybe I'm doing that lady an injustice, who knows? Enjoy your trip!" Hi Amy, There are several things you need to keep in mind when dealing with us Europeans: - We do not do service American style and some servers can appear down right rude by your standards. So not getting a response to an email most likely means they are full and nothing more. - For the most part English is a foreign language and the choice of words and phrases used may give a different impression than what was intended. - We tend to be more blunt and less PC here in Europe and even more so in the Germanic part. For example here in Switzerland it is acceptable to run a job ad seeking a "native German speaking, 18 - 25 year old female", in other words only a Swiss girl will be accepted for this position, an Austrian or German although native German speakers will not be accepted either.

Jim, I really appreciate your reply. You're right of course that I shouldn't expect American-style interaction in other cultures. I will definitely keep that in mind when we travel. Thanks!