Identity protection
Landlord asks for a copy of your passport? Do this instead
Last updated: 11 August 2026
Never send a bare photo of your passport to someone you met through a rental listing. Before a contract exists, a landlord has no need for your ID at all — and if a copy is genuinely required later, the Dutch government's KopieID app lets you strike out the BSN and photo and watermark the copy with its purpose. Rental scams increasingly harvest two things at once: your deposit and your identity. The deposit hurts once; a leaked ID copy can keep hurting for years in loans, phone contracts and mule accounts opened in your name.
- Watermark itrental check only
- Cover the BSN
- Never send a clean copy
The KopieID app does this
Key takeaways
- Never send a bare photo of your passport to someone you met through a rental listing.
- Before a contract exists, a landlord has no legitimate need for your ID at all — the screening reason only arrives at the point of signing.
- When a copy is genuinely required, the Dutch government's KopieID app strikes out the BSN and photo and watermarks the copy with its purpose.
- Rental scams harvest the deposit and the identity together: the deposit hurts once, a leaked ID copy can keep hurting for years.
On this page
Why do rental scammers want your ID?
An identity document is money. According to the Rijksoverheid's identity-fraud guidance, criminals use copied IDs to take out loans and subscriptions, open accounts, or commit fraud that lands on the victim's name. Copies harvested in rental chats are also resold and reused in other scams — including as the fake 'landlord passport' shown to the next victim.
That is why the request often comes absurdly early: 'send your passport so I can prepare the contract' before any viewing. A legitimate process never needs your document at that stage.
When does a landlord legitimately need your ID?
Under the Dormetrics Listing Risk Method, a verdict is a risk signal about a listing and never an identity check on any person. The paid owner-check returns a match or a no-match against the name you were given, never the owner's identity, and Dormetrics does not retain the register data behind that answer.
At the application stage, a landlord reasonably needs your name, contact details and proof you can pay the rent — not your passport. Identity verification belongs at the end: at contract signing or key handover, where showing your ID in person is normally enough.
Seeing is not storing. If a copy is requested for the file, you decide what it shows: shield everything the purpose doesn't require — the BSN always, usually the photo and document number too. On income documents, black out what isn't needed before sending.
How do you make a safe copy with the KopieID app?
According to the RvIG (the government's identity-data agency), the free KopieID app photographs your document, recognises where the sensitive fields sit, and lets you strike them out — the BSN and photo included. You then stamp a watermark across the copy stating who it is for and why, for example 'rental contract Keizersgracht 1, 18-07-2026'.
A watermarked, shielded copy is nearly worthless to fraudsters: it cannot pass as a full ID and it names the only transaction it belongs to. A bare WhatsApp photo of your passport is the opposite — a blank cheque.
What if you already sent an unshielded copy?
Damage control, in order:
- Write down exactly what you sent, to whom, and when — screenshots included.
- Watch for misuse: unexpected letters, debt collectors, accounts or subscriptions you never opened.
- Report identity fraud to the Centraal Meldpunt Identiteitsfraude (CMI) via the RvIG — they guide victims through recovery.
- Report the scam itself to Fraudehelpdesk, and file a police report (aangifte) if your identity is misused.
- In serious cases, discuss replacing the document with your municipality — a new number kills the old copy's value.
The bigger pattern: data harvesting inside rental scams
ID requests before a viewing sit in the same script as pre-payment deposits and 'the landlord is abroad': each step extracts something valuable before you can verify anything. Flip the order. Verify the listing and the owner first — Dormetrics reads the listing for scam signals in about 60 seconds, and the owner check answers match / no-match against the land registry — and share documents only once the tenancy is real and signed.
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord require my BSN before signing?
Is it normal to send an ID copy before a viewing?
What may a landlord reasonably ask for during the application?
What exactly does the KopieID app do?
The 'landlord' sent me THEIR passport copy as proof. Does that mean it's real?
I already sent an unshielded copy of my ID. What should I do now?
How would I know if my identity is being misused?
Verify the listing before you share anything
Run the free red-flag check on the listing and confirm the owner against the Kadaster. Documents come last — after the home is real, the owner matches, and the contract is signed.
Dormetrics is a risk signal, not a guarantee. We show you which red flags fired and whether the person taking your deposit legally owns the property. Always view in person, pay by SEPA to a Dutch IBAN, and insist you can register at the address (BRP). The final decision is yours.