Short-Term Rental Guest Screening Guide for Direct Bookings

If you take direct bookings for your holiday or short-term rental, guest screening is essential. It helps protect your property, reduce risk, and ensure you’re hosting the right people. 

This guide explains what guest screening is, how to do it, and which tools can help make the process easier and safer.

Guest Screening Simply Explained

Guest screening means checking who your guests are before they stay at your property. It helps you avoid problems like damage, parties, or fraud. When you take bookings directly – not through Airbnb or Booking.com – it’s your job to make sure the guest is real, trustworthy, and a good fit for your place.

It is reported that hosts who screen more strictly report a roughly 30% drop in damage-related incidents. In addition to this, 10% of bookings involve guests with false identities—leading to average losses of $800 per incident. This is why efficient guest screening for your short-term or holiday rental is important. 

Think of guest screening like a friendly background check. You’re not trying to scare anyone off – you just want to know who you’re handing your keys to. Good guests won’t mind answering a few basic questions or providing ID.

You don’t need to be a detective. Just use a simple, fair process for everyone. The goal is to stop the rare bad guest before they arrive, not to interrogate the good ones.

Guest ID Verification

Verifying a guest’s ID is one of the easiest ways to screen a direct booking. It confirms the person booking is who they say they are – not using a fake name or stolen card.

Ask for a clear photo of a government-issued ID, like a passport or driver’s licence. It should match the name on the booking and any card they’ve used to pay.

Important: In the UK and EU, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies. That means:

• Only collect what you need.
• Use a secure system (don’t just store ID photos in your inbox).
• Don’t share guest information with others.
• Let the guest know why you’re collecting it – a short privacy notice will do.

Some countries (like Spain, Portugal, or Italy) require ID collection by law, especially for tourist stays. In other countries like the UK, it’s optional – but smart if you’re taking direct bookings.

Sex Offenders Check

In the UK, you can’t legally check if someone is on the sex offenders register – that information isn’t public. It’s only accessible to the police and certain employers, like schools or care providers. As a short-term rental host, trying to access or use this data directly could breach privacy laws.

In the U.S., some states have public databases, but using them to screen guests can raise legal or ethical concerns, especially if it’s not applied fairly.

That said, there are tools designed to help with this. Platforms like Truvi use data sources and compliance processes to check for high-risk individuals, including known sex offenders where legally allowed. These checks are handled professionally and in line with data protection rules – giving you peace of mind without crossing legal boundaries.

While you can’t catch everything, using trusted tools and having a clear screening process will prevent most issues before they arrive.

What Is the Guest Screening Process?

Guest screening means checking who is booking your property before they arrive. It helps you protect your home, your neighbours, and your business by making sure guests are genuine and trustworthy.

When you take bookings through big platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com, they usually handle some of the screening for you. But with direct bookings, you are responsible for making sure guests are safe and reliable.

Basic Guest Screening Process

Here’s a simple way to screen guests when they book directly with you:

1. Booking Request Received – The guest contacts you or books through your website.
2. Collect Basic Information – Ask for their full name, contact details, number of guests, and reason for their stay.
3. Verify Identity & Check for Risks – Request a photo of their ID (like a passport or driving licence) and check it matches the booking details. Use a tool or manual check to look out for red flags like fake details, fraud, or past issues.
4. Check Payment – Confirm payment comes from a card matching the guest’s name.
5. Confirm Booking and Share Rules – Once you’re confident, confirm the booking and send your house rules to set clear expectations.
   

Who’s Responsible?

For direct bookings, you are in charge of guest screening. It’s your job to keep your property safe and secure. With the right process and tools, screening can be quick and easy – helping you welcome the right guests every time.

Tools to Help Automate Screening Guests

When you take bookings directly, having the right tools can make guest screening much easier. These tools help verify who your guests are, check for risks, and protect your property — so you don’t have to do everything by hand.

Truvi (Formerly Superhog)

Truvi offers a comprehensive set of tools to help you screen guests effectively, especially when managing direct bookings. Here’s how Truvi can improve your guest screening process:

• Thorough Identity Verification: Truvi verifies guest identities by cross-checking government-issued IDs with booking details and conducting biometric checks, such as a selfie or short video, to ensure the guest matches the ID provided.
• Advanced Digital Profile Analysis: The platform reviews guests’ digital footprints, including email addresses, phone numbers, and online profiles, to detect potential fraud or suspicious behaviour.
• Real-Time Risk Assessment: Truvi screens guests against global watchlists and monitors IP addresses and domain information to identify high-risk bookings before confirmation.
• Sex Offender Registry Check (U.S. Only): For hosts in the U.S., Truvi offers an optional add-on to check guests against the U.S. sex offender register, enhancing guest safety.
• Seamless Integration with Booking Systems: Truvi integrates with various property management systems, online travel agencies, and guest experience apps, allowing you to automate screening and apply it consistently across bookings.
• Customisable Screening Packages: You can tailor screening services to suit each property’s needs, combining guest screening with damage waivers and protection plans for a full risk management solution.

Using Truvi’s advanced screening tools helps you increase the safety and reliability of your direct bookings, ensuring a secure and positive experience for both you and your guests.

Pricing

Truvi guest screening pricing starts from around $2 a booking per booking

Find out more information on the Truvi website. 

Autohost

Autohost provides an easy-to-use guest screening solution tailored for short-term and holiday rental hosts, especially those managing direct bookings. Here’s what Autohost can do to help you:

• Identity Verification: Autohost verifies guest identities by securely checking government-issued IDs and matching them with booking details to confirm the guest is who they say they are.
• Background Checks: The platform runs automated background checks to identify potential risks such as fraud, previous guest reviews, or problematic behaviour.
• Booking Risk Scoring: Autohost provides a risk score for each booking based on multiple data points, helping you quickly decide whether to accept or decline a guest.
• Customisable Screening Settings: You can adjust screening criteria to match your property’s needs and risk tolerance, so you have control over how strict the checks are.
• Automated Communication: Autohost sends automatic messages to guests requesting ID verification and other required information, saving you time and streamlining the process.
• Integration with PMS and Booking Platforms: It can integrate with property management systems and booking channels to automate guest screening for all your bookings.
  

By using Autohost, you can simplify and strengthen your guest screening process for direct bookings, reducing risks and helping ensure your property stays safe and well looked after.

Pricing

Autohost charges between about $0.12 and $0.65 just for the ID collection step. Other screening steps cost extra, so it’s best to contact Autohost to get a full price based on what you need.

Find out more information on the Autohost website.

How to Set Up a Basic Manual Screening Process

1. Use a Booking Form
   Set up a booking form on your website or PMS to collect basic guest information.
2. Add a Few Questions
   Include questions like the reason for stay, guest list, and arrival time to gather useful details upfront.
3. Set Up a Welcome Call or Video Chat
   Connect with your guest early via call or video. This helps verify their ID live, answer questions, and get a feel for who they are before confirming the booking.
4. Request ID Verification
   If you didn’t verify ID during the call, ask the guest to send a clear photo or scan of a government-issued ID afterward.
5. Send a Digital Rental Agreement
   Share your rental agreement with house rules so guests know and agree to your terms.
6. Take a Damage Deposit or Pre-authorisation
   Collect a damage deposit or pre-authorisation payment via Stripe, Swikly, or similar services to protect your property.

Of course, the tools we’ve mentioned previously can help automate the process, saving you both time and reducing your risk. Using them lets you focus more on delivering a great guest experience while staying confident that your property and bookings are secure.

Privacy, Legal and Fairness Considerations

Handling guest data properly isn’t just good practice – it’s the law under UK GDPR. Here’s what you need to know:

Data Protection (GDPR in the UK/EU)

• You must only collect data that’s necessary for screening or booking. GDPR requires data minimisation – don’t gather more than you need.
• Guests should always be informed about what data you collect, why, how long you’ll keep it, and their rights with a simple, clear privacy policy .
• GDPR allows lawful data use under a valid basis such as consent or contractual necessity – but you should document which basis applies .

Secure Storage of Guest Info

• Store guest data securely- use strong encryption, password access controls, and two-factor authentication on digital systems.
• For paper documents, keep IDs and forms locked up and shred them when no longer needed.
• Avoid insecure methods like sending IDs via email or storing them in unprotected files – these are high-risk for data breaches.

Non-Discrimination & Fairness

• Screening must be applied equally to all guests. Do not base decisions on name, nationality, race, religion, or other protected characteristics.
• Avoid collecting criminal history data – in the UK, criminal offence data can only be collected through officially authorised channels
• Your process must be transparent, consistent, and free from bias to stay within the law.

Keep Guests Happy and Your Property Protected

Screening short-term rental guests doesn’t need to be overwhelming. With the right process in place—asking the right questions, verifying ID, and setting clear expectations—you can reduce risk while still offering a welcoming experience.

Manual screening can work well, but it takes time and consistency. That’s where guest screening tools like Truvi and Autohost really shine. They automate ID checks, flag high-risk bookings, and help you stay compliant with privacy laws, giving you peace of mind with far less effort.

Whether you’re managing a few properties or running a larger operation, putting a solid screening process in place is one of the simplest ways to protect your business. The tools are out there—use them, stay fair, and keep your standards high.