AirBnB Host requires passport documents?

Yep, it means they actually register their guests as required. It’s more convenient than having to do it in person. Remember, at a hotel you hand over your passport for the info to be recorded as well.

Yep, it means they actually register their guests as required. It’s more convenient than having to do it in person. Remember, at a hotel you hand over your passport for the info to be recorded as well.

Be worried with an AirBnb if they dont ask. Also look to see if the listing has a registration number on it. Doubt its required in every country, but many if not most these days.

Check the host rating - are they a superhost, or have lots of reviews? That would influence me. We stayed in multiple air bnb's in Italy in September 2023 and the requirements varied from taking a pic of our doc on their smartphone, to no mention (the majority), to a small hotel that kept our passport overnight. We also carried a photocopy of our docs in a separate place from our passports.

We've stayed in 40 airbnb apartments in Italy --- all the hosts waited until we arrived to look at and usually photograph our passports with their phone. Or if they weren't meeting us to let us in, we photographed our passports ourselves once inside the apartment and sent them to the host using the airbnb messaging.

I don't know why this host wants your passport way before you arrive, but it seems like it's OK. Maybe they've had some bad experiences with a few guests.

I have stayed in rentals in several other countries that required a copy of the passport of each guest. Some wanted it before and some as we checked in - a lot had to do with the actual means of entry. In the countries where that is required by a hotel, it should also be required by a legitimate apartment.

Maybe I am foolish, but I worry less about a passport copy than I drivers license copy. Just not much marketable info on a passport.

I know of one city that requires it to be put in the database prior to handing over the keys. Just a hassle on a cell phone at a door stoop, so you usually get asked in advance. Most certainly if it's one that has the keys in a lock box and you let yourself in.

Wow, news to me. Thanks everyone, this was incredibly helpful!

It is a requirement of the Italian law, namely article 109 of the TULP (Uniform Code of Public Security Laws) and was introduced many years ago (June 1931, when Mussolini was Prime Minister) but modified numerous times during the years, and still in the books primarily for the purpose of terrorism investigations.

The hotel or landlord has 24 hours from the arrival of the guest to communicate the guest’s demographic data, including copy of the passport (for non EU citizens) or National ID (for EU citizens), to the Questura (Police Headquarters). If the guest stays for 24 hours or less the host must make such communication within 6 hours from the arrival.

Failure to comply with this requirement is a crime, and the host is subject to a penalty consisting of 3 months in jail or a fine of €206.

Details are below if you care to read (in Italian). So given the circumstances, if you are not willing to give a copy of your passport I can guarantee you that the host will probably give your apartment to someone else.

https://www.prontoprofessionista.it/articoli/reato-di-omessa-comunicazione-alla-questura-dei-clienti-di-un-albergo.html?author=f

I've never been asked for my passport in advance of arrival to a vacation rental, but the host always takes a photo of it on arrival nowadays.
Years ago, we would bring photocopies of the passports to give to the host, which they accepted.

Occasionally, when we've checked in using a lockbox or remote code, or a friend or Auntie of the owner is there, or there is no one there to greet you at all.....then no one is taking a copy of your passport, which is probably illegal.

I do prefer to have someone there to greet us, and now will avoid places that have remote or lockbox check in.

usually the host takes a photo of the documents at your arrival..... welll I just came back from Italy one week ago and one host didn't care about docs ... other host took pics of our docs ... adults and kid right after we checked in.

They have 24 hours after your arrival to send the documents. The hosts who didn’t care about taking the documents probably also don’t care about reporting that rental income on their tax returns.