I live in an enormous gated community with endless amenities and activities. I need to complete an online application for my guest passes. Full names, full address and DOB. All must match what I input in the application to their photo ID. When using any amenity or entering any rec center they must always carry the guest pass and their photo ID. I typically ask sitters to just screen shot their license so I have that accurate info and I delete it immediately. My upcoming sitter doesn’t want to. I asked what is making them uncomfortable, but to at least provide me all the information. Now I’m wondering if this is a red flag. I’m on this site as a sitter as well and I’ve been asked numerous times to provide my license and/or passport as proof of ID to the homeowner. I’m in the US and the sitters are in the US. They are driving in. They have lots of good reviews and even a criminal check (which is always a preference for me). I wonder what the issue is that I am missing.
I would supply such information, but I am also the kind of naïve person that always allows all cookies on web pages. Many people are more careful.
Where I draw the line is being recorded by cameras - would that be a red flag for you? Other people may draw the line somewhere else.
I can see being a bit leery about being asked for a drivers license, but you do have an excellent reason for asking for the information and it’s obviously a necessary requirement with your community being the way it is. People are funny- worried about identity theft maybe? (Which makes no sense, but then people often don’t)
IF they agreed to provide Name, address, DOB without the license info I would personally be fine with that.
@trekker954 have you explained to the sitter - why you need the ID ?
Maybe something to include in your listing under the home section or to mention before confirming future sitters - so that they are aware of the information that you need .
I wouldn’t typically provide my ID to a Home owner (as my ID has already been verified as a requirement for enrolling as a THS sitter ) However if the HO explained that it was needed to use the facilities, then I would have no hesitation to do so .
I have sat in gated communities a few times, here in Australia. It is required in these communities to do exactly what you are asking of your sitter. To provide at least a driver’s licence.
Do you have a copy of the community by-laws you could email to the sitter to show that it is a requirement of the gated Community that any visitors staying over for longer than whatever period it is, needs to provide legal identity of that person to the community manager or whoever? This is what I have done and I totally understood it and had no problem supplying such 
under the circumstances.
Actually THS doesn’t give owners much of anything, no last name, no phone number, email. As a sitter I did have THS do an enhanced background on me (but I am retired law enforcement officer anyway). THS verification is pretty elementary, unless it is a criminal check. I think all HO should be provided full names at least. anyway, we will see where this goes. I provided a screen shot of my guest pass application I must provide so they know this is for their benefit not mine.
This sort of thing should be included in a listing, so sitters can self-select out if they want to. If you’re asking belatedly and the sitter still refuses despite your explaining the need and they can’t sit for you without it, you might refer them to this thread, so they can see it’s normal for the circumstances. If they can’t get onto the property without it and they still balk, it sounds like you’d have to cancel the sit and activate whatever fallback plans you’ve made.
If they can get on the property, but not use amenities onsite without it, I’d let them decide that.
I’ve lived in such communities and we couldn’t even have someone deliver furniture or mow grass, etc., without such clearance.
Yes, they can enter the property, but cannot use the pools, pickleballs, tennis, bocce, corn toss, golf or the numerous activities and classes at the recreation centers, all of which is FREE with my guest pass.
OK, well then that’s their choice. Is there no way they can provide the documentation in person directly with the issuers of the pass?
The background check is now required for all US-based sitters, and not available to non-US-based sitters.
Seems straightforward. Let them know that they can decide whether they want to use the amenities and submit their identification so you have time to complete the process before you leave. If it’s like most of these communities, they need the homeowner / resident to make the request, so there’s a natural deadline for your sitter to decide. I wouldn’t overthink it.
I never give my address! I’ve hesitantly given some of my driving license info since one HO wouldn’t let me use their car without it. Your upcoming sitter sounds like a private person which I wouldn’t necessarily consider a red flag. Maybe send proof of the community requirements so they know you’re using this information for their benefit
It sounds like you just need their name, address, and DOB. Can’t you just ask them for that info? Why do you need a copy of their license?
All sitters are background checked and provide ID. It’s technically against the THS TOS to ask for it. Perhaps you could schedule a phone call to get the information you need. I had a HO who insisted that he must have a copy of my ID by email. Email is not a secure way to send personal information so I declined and canceled the sit.
No, only Americans.
For the rest of us, it is just not necessary 
I agree with Katie and Maggie, just give them the choice. I personally wouldn’t submit a picture of a license or passport via email or SMS due to security issues. However, I would happily provide it onsite if they have a secure method to process it that doesn’t require sending it via email. I know someone who had their identity stolen by sending their license via email so I’m cautious now. And at the end of the day, if I didn’t care about the amenities then I would just tell you I don’t care and am still happy to do the sit. I also agree with Maggie’s comment that you should add it to the listing for next time so you can relax and let people self select. I would add that you can talk to them about this during the application interview as well just to make sure.
I don’t believed this is accurate as I’ve never had a background check to use TH.
My understanding is that it has to do with laws outside of the US.
I’d prefer a sitter be background checked.
Hi @trekker954 , I agree with many of the other postings here. You could explain that the info is only necessary if they want to use the facilities and let them decide. I’ve done sits in The Villages, FL (to visit a close friend who lives there) and never used the guest card at all— I’m not a joiner, I guess.
I would not send my driver’s license by email for security reasons. If it was absolutely necessary, I might send it with the license number blanked out, though. If you explain the reasons and these people want to take advantage of the offerings there, would it be possible as @Katie suggests for them to show you their license in person?
@anon42826925 There was a recent thing in the news of a sit gone wrong. One of the issues was that the sitter was 20. So that is how thorough the THS checks are: it does not even ensure that their minimum age requirement is maintained.
Please cite the TOS paragraph number that you claim is violated by HO asking for this information from sitter … I looked and did not find this. The closest I found was a prohibition on uploading that type of information to the website. Thanks!