Most Dubai Short-Term Holiday Companies know very little about your guests and take no damage deposit or only a tiny amount.
At DVH Holiday Homes, all guests are screened, and we cover up to $5M host cover.
What does guest screening involve?
A comprehensive screening process will ask guests to submit their personal information, such as their name, date of birth, physical home address, and a copy of their official ID (such as a passport or driving license).
This information will then be processed to determine whether the ID is stolen or fake and whether the provided details match those on the ID.
Additionally, guests provide their mobile phone number and email address, which are then checked to see if the registered owner matches the provided name and when the email account was created (this is to check that it wasn’t created just for this booking).
Following this, a biometric/liveness check, usually in the form of a selfie or a short video, will be performed to make sure that the guest matches the photo on the provided ID
Covering your Dubai property investment
To summarise, depending on the depth and profoundness of the guest screening process, guests are requested to share the following personal data:
Name and last name
Date of birth
Mobile phone and email address
Physical home address
Copy of official ID (e.g., passport, driver’s license)
Selfie or video for a biometric/liveness check
Credit card information
Why we Ask for ID
By asking for a guest’s ID, you can host in confidence knowing precisely who we’re renting to.
Guests who are deterred and unwilling to provide their ID often cause damage and problems for hosts.
Having a copy of the guest’s ID also helps if the guest performs any criminal acts, such as theft, and you must report them to the police.
- Validate payments
Vacation rentals are, unfortunately, a target for credit card fraud.
To make sure that cards are not stolen or fake, and guarantee that payments are made to you, make sure that guests pay 100% of the booking fee and any other payments you request upfront.
That way, they are processed immediately, and you will know in advance if there are any problems, such as chargebacks.
- Collect a deposit
We all know that accidents happen, so protecting yourself is crucial.
Collecting a deposit will help us validate the guest’s credit card and help you further if you need to make an insurance claim.
By holding the deposit for 7 days after the guest’s stay, you can inspect the property and charge the guest if they have broken or stolen anything. If you want an automated, streamlined deposit solution, as your rental property is valuable, you need assurances from the get-go.
Doesn’t the platform I’m using screen guests?
Unfortunately, this department lacks many platforms in the industry.
Here’s a look at the processes for Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo:
Does Airbnb do background checks? Airbnb now requires all guests from certain countries to verify when they create an account.
Booking.com does not require guests to verify in order to make a booking. The responsibility is placed on hosts and property managers, who are able to set “guest requirements”, such as:
Guests must provide a valid email address, valid credit card information, and evidence of a good track record on the platform (e.g., have no reports against them or be banned from any properties).
Does Vrbo do background checks on guests? Vrbo encourages guests to obtain Verified Identity badges by asking them to submit their personal information, which includes their first and last name, email address, mobile phone number, physical address, and date of birth.
Vrbo then performs checks to see if the information provided is accurate.
As we can see, these popular platforms don’t require guests to verify as part of the booking process, which is why you can’t and shouldn’t rely on them to keep your properties safe.
List your property with us and enjoy advanced guest screening with damage protection.
Every validated booking is protected by our industry-leading $5,000,000 Host Guarantee (covering guest property damage).
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