Guides / Sending your ID to a landlord

Sending your ID to a landlord

Updated 3 November 2026 · By the FirstHour team

Short answerFirst make sure the landlord and the place are real. Then ask what they need and why, send it through their application system or in person if you can, and cover anything that isn't needed. Don't send an ID to someone you haven't checked, before you've even seen the place.

Step 1: Check it's real

Fake rental listings are common. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists these warning signs:

The FTC's advice is to see the place yourself, or have someone you trust see it, and to search the address with the owner's or company's name. The FTC also says not to give personal or financial information to someone who says they work for the owner. Contact the owner or company using details you already have.

An example: an "owner" messages you on a chat app, says they've traveled for work and will send keys after you send a photo of your passport and a deposit. That's several of the signs at once.

Step 2: Ask what they need

A real landlord does need to know who you are, usually after you've decided to apply. The FTC lists a request for your Social Security number, a driver's license photo or pay stubs before you've agreed to rent as a warning sign of a rental scam. On handing over a Social Security number in general, it suggests asking why they need it, how they'll protect it and whether you can use a different identifier or only the last four digits. Try these questions:

This is a US example. In England, GOV.UK says landlords checking someone's right to rent must make an unalterable copy of their documents, such as a photocopy or a good-quality photograph. They must date it, keep it for the tenancy plus one year, and follow data protection law. For a passport, they copy every page showing the expiry date or personal details. A landlord in a place with rules like that may legitimately need an uncovered copy, so ask, and don't assume a covered one will do.

Step 3: Cover what isn't needed

This is our advice. If they need to see your name and that you're you, you can often cover the ID number, signature and other details. Pay stubs and bank statements are different: a landlord may need the amounts, so cover only account numbers and the like. Here's the full walk-through for IDs, and why solid boxes, not blur.

Step 4: Send it well

  1. Use the safest route they offer. A portal or in person is better than a group chat or a public post.
  2. Say in your message what it's for and the date, so you can show later why you sent it.
  3. Remove the location from the picture. Here's how.
  4. Keep a note of who got it and when, and delete extra copies from your phone afterward.

How FirstHour helps

Share suggests boxes over the ID and card numbers it recognizes, plus names and signatures on IDs it spots. You adjust them and send a copy without the location or camera details. Your original isn't changed. Here's how.

It checks pictures, not PDFs, and bank statements and pay stubs are often PDFs. It doesn't find faces. It can't tell whether a landlord is real, and it can't take back an ID you already sent.

Questions

The landlord says they need the whole ID. Should I send it?

Some do need it. Check the landlord and the place first, then ask why, and prefer in person or a portal. If something feels off, you can walk away.

Should I cover my photo?

If they need to see it's you, probably not. If they only need your name, you can.

I already sent my ID to a fake listing. What now?

Stop contact, keep the messages, and watch your accounts. In the US, the FTC points people to IdentityTheft.gov for steps and ReportFraud.ftc.gov to report it. Elsewhere, use your own country's fraud or police service.

Sources

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