Help! Air BNB host asking for copy of passport... Italian law questions

Yes, by law they have to register you, so every host should ask you for your passport, maybe they will when you arrive, otherwise they are doing it illegally.

Don't worry, the passport is a travel document so it has no information that can be used against you, and I'm sure the host won't even look at it, but it IS your id while traveling, so it will be asked in numerous occasions, for example if someone needs to do an invoice in your name.

Your passport is your ID. You may have to show it a number of times. BNB are covered by the same regulations as a hotel, and have to record the ID of everyone staying.

here is too much private information on their that could end up in the wrong hands.

What private information? Name, date of birth, nationality, place of birth, expiry date. Nothing that could be considered "private information".

We have no privacy.

You may be asked to provide ID when borrowing or renting an audio guide in a museum, too--and not just in Italy.

You also need your passport to buy opera tickets and even soccer (calcio) tickets.
You are already giving them your credit card info. Worry about that if you want to worry about something.

Your passport is your ID. You may have to show it a number of times. BNB are covered by the same regulations as a hotel, and have to record the ID of everyone staying.

Concur.

What private information? Name, date of birth, nationality, place of birth, expiry date. Nothing that could be considered "private information".

I don't know what your definition/criteria for "private information", but the info you listed above are certainly PII (personally identifiable information); which are normally classified as private info (at least here in the states), and are covered under privacy laws.

I think that it's wise to make sure that you are indeed required (in this case Italian law/regulation) before providing information that others (including me) consider private info. Just my .02

Your passport contains information that is so private that anybody can get it from your Facebook page or from Spokeo or from Zabasearch.

I would expect that an airbnb host is obligated to collect the same information required by law that a hotel would. After all, it's essentially a similar business? There's really no information on your passport that's of any use to anyone else. Even if there was, a disreputable hotel employee could get up to the same nonsense with it as a rental-property host. Don't worry about it.

(I DO worry more about handing over our credit card info. We had one hacked right before we left for Europe a few years ago and had to scramble to get a new one expressed in time.)

This is normal. Hotels, B&B's, apartments and villas are all required to register you with the police. Most of the time villa rental companies will request this information a few weeks before arrival so they can have this part of the paperwork finished before you arrive. There is nothing to be concerned about, this is legally required.

Donna

Are they asking for this in advance of your arrival? All 8 should ask to see passports for each member of the party at the time of check-in, but in my experience, some private parties leasing apartments will wave you off and say they don't need it. The ones who register you are adhering to the law.

The only thing found on a passport not included on a drivers license is state of birth. The chip bound in is encoded with data that immigration officials have access to, but no one else would.

So there is no need to worry about handing over a passport or copy.