Identity protection

Landlord asks for a copy of your passport? Do this instead

By Dormetrics — DoArt (sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak)), KVK 58598464 · Last updated: 18 July 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.

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?

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.

Run a free check

How do you make a safe copy? (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.

Already sent an unshielded copy? Do this

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?
No. Your BSN is not needed to consider you as a tenant, and on any copy you do share you should shield it — the KopieID app does this in one tap.
Is it normal to send an ID copy before a viewing?
No. Before a viewing and a signed contract there is no legitimate use for your ID. An early passport request is a red flag on the same level as a pre-viewing deposit.
What may a landlord reasonably ask for during the application?
Your name, contact details, and proof of income (with everything irrelevant blacked out). Identity verification comes at signing — showing your ID in person is normally sufficient.
What exactly does the KopieID app do?
It is the Dutch government's free app (by the RvIG) that photographs your ID, strikes out fields like the BSN and photo, and stamps a watermark saying who the copy is for, why, and when.
The 'landlord' sent me THEIR passport copy as proof. Does that mean it's real?
No — circulating passport images are a standard scam prop, often harvested from earlier victims. Ownership is proven by the land registry, not by documents in a chat.

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.

Run a free check

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.

Sources

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