I’m leaving the country and would like to have copies the passports and drivers licenses of my housesitters. Is this something others do? I would feel a lot more comfortable leaving all my personal property.
What will you be using that for? What is the purpose?
As a sitter - or otherwise in life - I would not want to give copies of my ID-papers to others, because of the risk of misuse or identity theft. If not by the host, so maybe by how my papers were handled or disposed of.
I have been ID-checked by THS. My hosts would normally also get my phone-no. because we communicate via WhatsApp and they can get my links to for instance AirBnB and LinkedIn. Hosts are not checked like sitters are, which could be a risk for me. The home might not be theirs, for instance. If the ID is needed for a specific purpose - for instance car insurance, guest certificate in a gated community etc. that is different. So for me it is all about why the host would want it. I would be wary if it was because of distrust. Trust for me is really important for a successful sit. If you need it for trust that is your prerogative. But maybe what is needed is to talk more, for instance by video-call, getting to know each other more. Or maybe you have a gut feeling about a sit partner that something is «off». In that case I think it is best to not go forward with the sit.
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In 30 + sits I have never been asked to even show my ID, so I don’t think it’s something common. It has been mentioned a couple of times in the forum as something rare and off putting for sitters.
Perhaps some sitters don’t mind but it shows distrust in a partnership based on mutual trust. Perhaps if you offer a copy of your own documents it wouldn’t feel so awkward.
I agree with @Garfield
If you don’t trust your sitters for some reason.
Have you checked their profile and their reviews?
Have you had a video chat with them and asked all the questions which are relevant for your peace of mind?
Some people also like to have some overlapping time at handover so that both parties (and the pets) can get to know each other.
You seem to be new to the system and I understand that you feel you need to place a lot of trust in someone you don’t know personally but think that they also have to trust you.
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Here is a link to the information about the ID checks that all sitters have undergone in order to become THs members :
If you require copies of passports and driving licenses of your sitter then this requirement should be stated in your listing so that only sitters who are comfortable with sharing these personal details and information will apply .
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It would be difficult/impossible for you to check that those were not fake.
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Please see all the answers below. Sitters have been verified already whereas HOS haven’t. You could ask and offer copies of your own docs in exchange for theirs, but asking last minute seems like a lack of trust & against the ethos of THS. Put anything super valuable away to put your mind at rest, and if you don’t 
trust the sitters you’ve chosen then don’t go ahead with the sit or you’ll worry all holiday. #peaceofmind
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I would be happy to show you ours if it made you feel better, but there is no way I would give you a copy to carry around the world !
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What would you need copies for? How would you use that information?
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Thanks for the feedback .
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I only ask for a Driving license/car reg because I need it in order for sitters to be able to park their car and not get towed since my condo’s HOA requires all cars to be registered. However, I do not keep that info and it is deleted as soon as the office registers them and I get permit for them, otherwise I wouldn’t need to ask for it.
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I’ve had one or two sits where they didn’t even ask my last name!
I would definitely not give you a copy of my passport, just on principle. That kind of falls in the general identity-protection advice of “don’t give your personal information to others”.
If you get a sitter who’s going to steal stuff or damage your house, what use is the passport copy?
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Well that makes sense then
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Yes this is something some hosts ask for. Best to do it in the listing otherwise you will get applicants that do not wish to do this who then withdraw and that just wastes your time and theirs.
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It’s nice that THS checks the sitters ID but since they won’t actually provide that information to the homeowner even after there has been a problem it’s of limited usefulness.
If there is an issue the owner only has the name the sitter gave them and no way to actually locate them or to verify if the details provided were true
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And, yet one more time, I wonder, when is TH going to start background-checking/verifying homeowners?
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Trusted housesitters works by starting with the first word
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Honestly, no pet owners or homeowners have ever asked for our last names or any proof of identity. I’m starting to feel strangely special among you guys now. Guess I’m just trusted like that! 
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Us neither @Fatamorgana - must have honest faces #orgoodeyes
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I’m happy to show my ID to the homeowner, but I’d never let them copy or photograph it! Even if they are honest, their copy or photo could fall into the wrong hands and ID theft is rampant.
I always give them my last name and my outside email address as well as cell phone number of course. That, along with what TH verifies, and my track record of reviews on the TH site should be more than enough to satisfy someone. If it isn’t, I don’t want to sit for them (because they are paranoid and distrustful).
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@NETime Completely agree. We would be hesistant if they asked for ID and passport. We MIGHT show it to them…and that is a big MIGHT. Never let them have a copy. We have had multiple sits where they are in a gated community in which they needed our last name and email address. We will give out our last name and an email address that is not our primary one (more for ads, shopping, etc).
Be careful what you give out! Home owners do NOT need this information as THS already does a background check.
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