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Category: Getting Started
By: Ingrid Svensson
Reply by David Okafor:
All of Airbnb's verification steps are enforced — you literally can't publish your listing without completing them. But they're not as scary as they look: 1. **Identity verification** — Takes 5 minutes. Upload ID, take a selfie. Done. 2. **Safety disclosures** — Smoke detector, CO detector, fire extinguisher. Check these boxes honestly. Airbnb doesn't verify them, but your insurance company might. 3. **Local law acknowledgment** — You're just confirming you've checked your local STR laws. Airbnb doesn't verify compliance, but YOU are responsible. 4. **Tax forms** — W-9 for US hosts. Required for Airbnb to issue your 1099 at year end. 5. **Insurance** — Acknowledge AirCover terms. Consider getting proper STR insurance from Safely (https://safely.com) or Proper Insurance on top of that. Don't skip anything — just power through it. The whole process takes about 30-45 minutes if you have your documents ready. And DO NOT submit false information on the local law acknowledgment. If your city requires a permit and you claim you have one when you don't, Airbnb can remove your listing and suspend your account.
Reply by Omar Hassan:
Pro tip: before starting the Airbnb onboarding, check your local government website for STR permit requirements. About 40% of US cities now require some form of registration or permit. If your city requires a permit, get it FIRST. The process usually takes 2-4 weeks and costs $50-$500 depending on the city. Don't list without it — the fines for operating without a permit can be thousands of dollars. The env diagnostics article at https://strspecialist.com/blog has a good breakdown of common regulatory requirements by city.