STR - Guest Verification/Screening

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions
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STR - Guest Verification/Screening

Shane Bishop
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2022 · 69 posts · 38 votes

Hi! We're new hosts to the STR community, but have managed MTRs for about 3 years. We have always screened our MTR guests, and so far, have required our STR guests to complete a verification through Truvi. So far, we've had a few guests flagged by Truvi for criminal background, but Truvi will not disclose the nature of the red flag. So we have two questions for the BP community!!

1) If a guest is flagged and we don't feel comfortable with the booking, can we submit the flagged report to Airbnb and cancel the booking without penalty? The screening is listed in our description as a requirement. 

2) Are other STR hosts requiring screenings and how do you handle it? Is there a better method than Truvi?

I personally have not ever had to fill out a guest verification as a guest, but as new hosts, we want to protect ourselves, our property, and our neighbors as much as possible. 

Thanks for the support!

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Collin HaysBusiness Member
Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
5mo

Good questions, Shane.  99 percent of your bookings are going to come from Airbnb, VRBO, or both.  They have verifications.  Even with that, we've had thousands of direct bookings over the years without any sort of verification - to an extent. I don't know of anything that we could reasonably verify that would make us uncomfortable.  It might make me really uncomfortable to know the criminal backgrounds of some of our tens of thousands of guests over the years for sure.  I can only imagine what that might look like. But it isn't viable to delve into criminal backgrounds, etc.  

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  • Denise SuppleeBusiness Member
    Realtor · Willow Grove, PA · Member since 2017 · 974 posts · 641 votes
    5mo

    Hi @Shane Bishop. Nice to meet you here on BP! I’d be careful here and separate house rules from platform policy and fair housing risk. Even if screening is listed in your description, Airbnb may not automatically allow penalty free cancellation unless it fits their rules, so I’d contact Airbnb support before canceling and document everything. For STRs, I’d focus on what you can control consistently,  (verified ID, strong house rules, minimum stay settings, security deposit/claims process, no-party language, exterior cameras disclosed properly, and clear cancellation standards applied the same way to everyone.) Screening can help, but if the vendor won’t disclose the reason, I’d want legal guidance before making adverse decisions based on a vague flag.

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    • Shane Bishop
      OP
      Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2022 · 69 posts · 38 votes
      5mo

      @Denise Supplee thank you for the feedback! From what I've researched, Truvi and Airbnb seem to operate well together, however, this doesn't not guarantee anything. After viewing some of the top properties in the market, I noticed they conducted guest verifications as well, so we modeled our listing after those. 

      0Reply
  • Mike GrudzienPro Member
    Lender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5mo

    Call Airbnb and run this all past them.  Then call 2 more times to make sure all 3 encounters with Customer Service give consistent answers...

    1Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    5mo

    I don't screen anyone. No time for that.

    Do hotels screens every guest coming to stay for a few days?  No they do not.

    2Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    5mo

    I have been managing properties for over 20 years, and we have never "screened" tenants. Of course, we do have a minimum age requirement and a rental agreement. We've never been burned.  

    If you are wanting to protect yourself, focus on the one thing that owner constantly overlook:  Risk management.  You must make sure your property is safe for guests and stays that way.  Wasp nests, wood rot, a malfunctioning faucet that could cause scalding, loose handrails, etc.

    Yes, you have a liability policy, but that policy only covers you for negligence. If you are aware of problems or simply fail to pay attention to your property, gross negligence can come into play, where the plaintiffs come after you, because the insurance company denies the claim.  

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    • Shane Bishop
      OP
      Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2022 · 69 posts · 38 votes
      5mo
      Quote from @Collin Hays:

      I have been managing properties for over 20 years, and we have never "screened" tenants. Of course, we do have a minimum age requirement and a rental agreement. We've never been burned.  

      If you are wanting to protect yourself, focus on the one thing that owner constantly overlook:  Risk management.  You must make sure your property is safe for guests and stays that way.  Wasp nests, wood rot, a malfunctioning faucet that could cause scalding, loose handrails, etc.

      Yes, you have a liability policy, but that policy only covers you for negligence. If you are aware of problems or simply fail to pay attention to your property, gross negligence can come into play, where the plaintiffs come after you, because the insurance company denies the claim.  


       How do you protect yourself against a scammer? Have you ever denied a guest based on information that you received that seem out of sorts or that you were uncomfortable with? If so, how did you collect that information? Or do you simply allow anyone to book as long as they meet age requirement and sign the agreement?

      0Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    5mo

    Good questions, Shane.  99 percent of your bookings are going to come from Airbnb, VRBO, or both.  They have verifications.  Even with that, we've had thousands of direct bookings over the years without any sort of verification - to an extent. I don't know of anything that we could reasonably verify that would make us uncomfortable.  It might make me really uncomfortable to know the criminal backgrounds of some of our tens of thousands of guests over the years for sure.  I can only imagine what that might look like. But it isn't viable to delve into criminal backgrounds, etc.  

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    4Reply
  • Janice Carter
    Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 605 votes
    5mo

    @Shane Bishop Are you hosting at your personal residence or an investment property? That matters. As a real estate broker, I run background checks on every prospects before meeting and if there is a felony, I don’t move forward. I would apply the same standard if hosting in my personal home. If a flagged guest makes you uncomfortable, I would cancel. Your safety comes first, regardless of Airbnb policies or penalties.

    0Reply
    • Shane Bishop
      OP
      Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2022 · 69 posts · 38 votes
      5mo

      @Janice Carter this is an investment property that we partnered on with someone else. As the manager I just want to do my best to protect our own and our partner's assets from bad guests. I'd rather have no guests than bad guests. I understand there is no foolproof method, but was hoping for some thoughtful feedback or advice on how to best do that, other than the "you can't" mindset that I've heard from others. 

      1Reply
    • Christopher Tile
      Accountant · Long Island, NY · Member since 2021 · 184 posts · 148 votes
      5mo
      Quote from @Shane Bishop:

      @Janice Carter this is an investment property that we partnered on with someone else. As the manager I just want to do my best to protect our own and our partner's assets from bad guests. I'd rather have no guests than bad guests. I understand there is no foolproof method, but was hoping for some thoughtful feedback or advice on how to best do that, other than the "you can't" mindset that I've heard from others. 

      @Andrew Steffens Can give his take for the Tampa market. He manages properties for individuals on limited or full service, so he might even have different answers. I'd expect he's likely in line with other notable PM/Investors on the forum like @Collin Hays & @John Underwood

      1Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5mo

    Thanks @Christopher Tile

    I am not sure if Airbnb will let you cancel penalty or not, since I do not do supplemental verifications on Airbnb bookings.  It seems to be too vague - would it flag a marijuana possession for someone from 1994?

    I do verify identity on direct bookings and platforms with no verifications, they have to submit photo of ID, selfie, and photo of credit card.

    Thats it.

    As John mentioned hotels do not bother guests coming in for a few days.  To me, entering into a long term lease I want to know about the person as they afforded some legal protections and I have to deal with them for 12 months + rather than 12 days or less.

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    • Shane Bishop
      OP
      Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2022 · 69 posts · 38 votes
      5mo
      Quote from @Andrew Steffens:

      Thanks @Christopher Tile

      I am not sure if Airbnb will let you cancel penalty or not, since I do not do supplemental verifications on Airbnb bookings.  It seems to be too vague - would it flag a marijuana possession for someone from 1994?

      I do verify identity on direct bookings and platforms with no verifications, they have to submit photo of ID, selfie, and photo of credit card.

      Thats it.

      As John mentioned hotels do not bother guests coming in for a few days.  To me, entering into a long term lease I want to know about the person as they afforded some legal protections and I have to deal with them for 12 months + rather than 12 days or less.


       Do they submit the photos through email, the direct booking site, or some other software?

      0Reply
    • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
      Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
      5mo
      Quote from @Shane Bishop:
      Quote from @Andrew Steffens:

      Thanks @Christopher Tile

      I am not sure if Airbnb will let you cancel penalty or not, since I do not do supplemental verifications on Airbnb bookings.  It seems to be too vague - would it flag a marijuana possession for someone from 1994?

      I do verify identity on direct bookings and platforms with no verifications, they have to submit photo of ID, selfie, and photo of credit card.

      Thats it.

      As John mentioned hotels do not bother guests coming in for a few days.  To me, entering into a long term lease I want to know about the person as they afforded some legal protections and I have to deal with them for 12 months + rather than 12 days or less.


       Do they submit the photos through email, the direct booking site, or some other software?


       We use JotForm

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      0Reply
  • Brijen Raval
    Property Manager · US All States · Member since 2024 · 12 posts · 12 votes
    5mo
    Quote from @Shane Bishop:

    Hi! We're new hosts to the STR community, but have managed MTRs for about 3 years. We have always screened our MTR guests, and so far, have required our STR guests to complete a verification through Truvi. So far, we've had a few guests flagged by Truvi for criminal background, but Truvi will not disclose the nature of the red flag. So we have two questions for the BP community!!

    1) If a guest is flagged and we don't feel comfortable with the booking, can we submit the flagged report to Airbnb and cancel the booking without penalty? The screening is listed in our description as a requirement. 

    2) Are other STR hosts requiring screenings and how do you handle it? Is there a better method than Truvi?

    I personally have not ever had to fill out a guest verification as a guest, but as new hosts, we want to protect ourselves, our property, and our neighbors as much as possible. 

    Thanks for the support!


    I am using Hospitable's guest verification system - they do ID verification and background check

    0Reply
    • Shane Bishop
      OP
      Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2022 · 69 posts · 38 votes
      5mo

      @Brijen Raval are you using this for guests booking through Airbnb as well or only through hospitable?

      0Reply
    • Brijen Raval
      Property Manager · US All States · Member since 2024 · 12 posts · 12 votes
      5mo

      @Shane Bishop I do not do for short term guests - if a guest is staying more than 14 days I do that even if it's an Airbnb booking. 

      FWIW Airbnb does ID verification but it's flawed since you never know who's showing up at your house. 

      0Reply
  • Koba Molenaar
    Cape Town, South Africa · Member since 2026 · 23 posts · 13 votes
    5mo

    Hey @Shane Bishop I know Truvi is one of the most popular screening tools, but didn't know that they don't disclose more details (which I guess makes sense). You can also check out safely.com. I know it also offers a standalone screening feature, and I think it might be slightly cheaper. But there are other ways to screen guests that you can try too. Past reviews and social media activity alone can be insightful... Also, an outdoor camera can pick up on red flags like extra guests or pets, maybe not before you accept the booking but at check-in which still gives you time to prevent damage. 

    0Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    4mo

    Hey @Shane Bishop, so we don't screen like you would for a LTR. 

    I don't allow instant booking and chat with each potential guest. I do this to get a feel for their communication and the like.

    So far it has worked just fine for 9 years. 

    2Reply
  • Jorge VazquezBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Tampa, FL · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 684 votes
    4mo

    I’ll be honest — I’ve gone a different route that naturally filters out most of these issues.

    My best “screening” method is requiring a 30-day minimum stay. It tends to attract a more qualified guest profile automatically — people relocating, traveling professionals, insurance placements, etc. Not the typical weekend crowd.

    On top of that, I require tenant insurance / damage protection as part of the stay. That way, even if something slips through, you’re still covered.

    Short-term (2–5 day) bookings are where most of the risk lives. The longer the stay, the more serious the guest.

    Not saying screening tools like Truvi are bad — but structuring the booking itself can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.

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