You’re Giving a Stranger the Keys to Your Home. Who Are They?
UK short-term rental listings
UK short-term rental market value
to verify with Certifyd
The reality of airbnb in the UK.
Identity verification for short-term rentals with Certifyd provides cryptographic proof that both the host and the guest are who they claim to be. Platform verification checks that an account exists — it doesn’t verify who actually shows up at the property. Certifyd uses bi-directional, device-bound authentication: both parties verify through their registered devices at the point of check-in. The host knows the guest’s verified identity before handing over keys. The guest knows the host is the legitimate property owner. Every stay creates a tamper-proof record.
The UK short-term rental market has grown to over 300,000 listings worth £5.4 billion annually. Hosts routinely hand keys to strangers they’ve never met, giving them unsupervised access to their property, belongings, and neighbours. Guests enter properties owned by strangers, trusting that the listing is legitimate and the host is who they claim to be.
Platform verification on Airbnb, Booking.com, and similar sites checks that an account holder provided a government ID at some point. It does not verify that the person who arrives at the property is the account holder. Accounts can be shared, borrowed, or created with fraudulent documents. Reviews belong to the account, not the person. A five-star account may have changed hands without the platform knowing.
For hosts, Certifyd verifies the guest’s identity at check-in through device-bound authentication. For guests, it verifies the host or the host’s representative is a genuine, authorised person. This mutual verification creates trust that platform reviews alone cannot provide — and a tamper-proof record of who stayed at the property, which is increasingly important for insurance claims, neighbour disputes, and regulatory compliance.
This is broken.
Here's why.
Hosts hand keys to strangers whose identity is verified by a platform account, not in person.
Guests enter properties with no way to verify the host is who the listing claims.
Platform accounts can be shared, borrowed, or created with fraudulent documents.
When damage or incidents occur, the person responsible may not be the person on the booking.
Simple verification.
Every time.
Before check-in, both host and guest open Certifyd and verify through their registered devices
Each person’s identity is cryptographically confirmed — bi-directional, not one-way
The host sees the guest’s verified identity; the guest sees the host’s verified identity
A tamper-proof record is created: who checked in, when, and at which property
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Common questions.
For self-check-in properties (key boxes, smart locks), the guest can verify through Certifyd before receiving the access code. The host sends the code only after the guest’s identity has been cryptographically confirmed. This provides the convenience of self-check-in with the security of identity verification. The host knows who has their access code without needing to be physically present.
No. Airbnb’s verification checks that an account holder provided a government ID at registration. Certifyd adds real-time identity verification at the point of stay. The two are complementary: Airbnb verifies the account, Certifyd verifies the person who actually shows up. This is particularly valuable when someone other than the account holder checks in (a partner, family member, or friend using the booker’s account).
Yes. Property managers can register as an Organisation on Certifyd and add each listing. Guests verify at each property, and the manager receives a centralised verification record across all listings. This is valuable for professional hosts managing 10, 50, or 100+ properties who need consistent identity verification without being physically present at each check-in.
Yes. Short-term rental insurance claims and neighbour disputes often hinge on who was actually staying at the property. Certifyd’s tamper-proof verification records provide evidence that a specific, identified person was present at a specific time. This is stronger evidence than a platform booking confirmation (which shows who booked, not who stayed).
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Book a demo to see how Certifyd works for your team, or tell us about your verification needs and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Read: The Identity Verification Gap