Hi, is it standard practice for landlords/agencies to ask for a passport number to rent a short-term apartment? Anyone see any problem with providing it?

Thanks.

Sounds a little fishy to me. I've rented in Dijon and was never asked anything about my passport. I won't give out that number...it's like your SS#... you keep that to your self.

I don't see at all that it is like a social security number. It is not tied to your banking, your credit cards, etc. It is required when you check into hotels. The landlord may have to provide it if he/she is not renting to a French citizen.

Hi Isadore! I agree with elaine, if you had stayed in a hotel, they would have asked you. (I used to do that at the Mercure and Holiday Inn in Dijon) hotels are supposed to show them to the police if there is a control (never been asked in many years).
As a private owner I don't think it applies (hope I won't have to..) anyway you don't look like a terrorist! ;-)
if you come back I'll try to remember the Tropicana Orange Juice
coco

I don't think I've ever been asked my passport number when renting a Paris apt., but I've only done it twice. I suppose they just want some official ID for someone, and that is more standard than some driver's license number (and some people don't drive).

I can't think of any reason not to provide it myself. You give it out to a lot of other people, or others see it (like when you buy your airline ticket, etc.). I do know lots of hotels take it down, also, and some countries apparently require hotels to take it down. I don't see any reason someone would give it to a hotel but refuse to give it when renting an apt.

I recently sent Paris Attitude my passport number for an apartment I'm renting next July. I didn't think twice about it. Seems to me I've done that before with other rentals as well.

Thanks to all of you for your help and experience.

I've rented apartments in Paris, South of France, and Ireland and have never once been asked for my passport number. In 1998 my friend was pickpocketed in Amsterdam. She was caught with her hand in my friends purse and we didn't think she got anything. Later my friend relized her money was gone. When she reported it to the police, they stated she was probably going into the purse a second time for the passport. They informed us that they have a problem with illegal immigrants stealing passports. I would check all resources to verify that this is a legitimate rental before I give out my passport number.

In all financial transactions ( in spain, at least) where a bill is provided, one must provide a fiscal number, which for a foreigner will be a passport or National I.D. number.

Not unusual at all.

many other times.. the rents perhaps wee not declared.. thus not needing any billing info for tax department.

you can also give them your driver´s license number if you don't feel good about the other. they just need a number, and won't know the difference IMHO.

Actually stealing a passport, and I guess being able to alter it and use it illegally, that I can see as a motive.
Merely having a number provides no sinister advantages that I can think of. To obtain a new one, one needs to provide other supporting documents.

I'm no expert, but others are confirming my thoughts. Stealing a passport and stealing a passport number have very little in common. Again, I wouldn't worry about it.

I provided my passport number on the rental agreement I signed for a Paris apartment next spring.

Providing a passport number is harmless. Hotels are supposed to ask you for it, and I believe landlords providing short-term rentals may be required to report their rentals to police as well, although I suspect that most don't bother (which is why the request isn't that common).

Don't ever give your <i>passport itself</i> to anyone, however, unless it's a duly authorized agent of the host country with a legitimate need to see it (<i>e.g.</i>, the police&mdash;hotels are <i>not</i> in this category).