With the tragic Paris attacks I want to re post a topic that I posted a year or so back. I received a lot of negative responses regarding freedom of rights and having guests personal information. So though this may not be a law in your purticular country, though i expect that most countries have the same or similar requirment.
Just like any hotel in the world, when you arrive at reception you are required to produce your passport, enter your address, date of arrival and port of entry. After the recent bomb in Bangkok, immigration are even more strict with the law regarding hotels, guest houses and private residences and they must notify immigration within 24 hours of any foriegner who is staying. For those hosts here in Thailand you no longer need to go to immigration in person but register with them and you can fill in details on-line. Failure to do so will result in a fine for each guest and a prison sentence of up to 2 years, so be warned. I was aware of this regulation but thought, like many others that we are only airbnb and its not going to be noticed, howerver a recent visit from officers reminded me of the law. Guests who arrive in the country have to put your address on the arrival card so you are not hidden from view.
A copy of the guests passport is an important thing, not only for authorities looking for a perticular person but for helping a guest incase of an accident, or say your guest doesn't return after a night out. Being able to provide the missing guests details to the police or their embassy is a first step to identifying some one. Airbnb takes offline ID but not always passport details. Guests dont always post a real photograph on their profile. A passport number enables authorities to get a proper image or in the case of an explosion, DNA details. This is a terrible thing to say but we live in a world where we face challenges and we need to be more responsible and conform to the local laws. We love airbnb and been hosting for several years, but after a motorcycle accident where 2 guests ended up in hospital, airbnb help desk was not up to speed on what we should do or to offer any advice. Hosts are exceptional ambassadors, we open our homes to all nationalities religions or race with open arms, spreading that home from home feeling and with local support.
Al & Nok
Chiang Mai
Thailand
Hosting for 12 years Superhost for most of that time and have grown each year.
