Cliff Unger
Chief Revenue OfficerIn this article
Someone not being who they say they are—mysterious and interesting if you’re in a spy thriller. But for property managers… not so much. Prospective tenants need to be exactly who they say they are, and identity verification does just that.
While the speed of technological innovation can be overwhelming—AI-generated IDs aren’t just the futuristic technology of spy thrillers anymore—it also means you’ve got advanced tech on your side, including tools like selfie identity verification.
Unfamiliar with selfie identity verification? It’s exactly what it sounds like—using a selfie to confirm someone’s identity. This simple process involves a potential tenant taking a selfie to prove they’re who they say they are (and that selfie is then compared to a government-issued ID).
It’s a lower-lift method of identity verification because it can be done remotely and securely, making it a no-brainer aspect of your tenant screening process.
We’re breaking down everything you need to know about selfie identity verification and how you can reap the benefits as a landlord or property manager.
What is Selfie Identity Verification?
Selfie identity verification is when someone confirms their identity by taking and submitting a selfie for comparison against a government-issued ID (like a driver’s license).
While a potential renter could submit a fraudulent ID or selfie, it’s challenging to do it convincingly, especially if the process requires any of these:
- Video verification
- Selfies from several different angles
- A selfie while also holding the government-issued ID in the same photo
So, how does it work?
The simplest explanation is that an applicant uploads a photo of their government-issued driver’s license, passport, permanent resident card, or other approved ID card. Then, they take a selfie using their smartphone, tablet, computer camera, or webcam.
Selfie identity verification technology compares both images using facial recognition software to confirm they match.
Key Features of Selfie Identity Verification
For selfie identity verification to be useful, you need the right software, complete with the features that confirm identity, like biometric tech, liveness detection, and automation.
Biometric Technology
Biometric technology uses automation to authenticate human features—like irises and skin texture to verify the subject isn’t wearing something (like a silicon mask) to hide their real identity.
And facial recognition software matches the selfie to the ID provided to verify the applicant and documents are indeed a valid match.
Liveness Detection
Clever fraudsters may submit fake selfies or documents. But liveness detection helps detect this quickly by verifying that the selfie provided isn’t a photo of a photo.
It also confirms that the applicant isn’t wearing a mask or employing another type of spoof and that the image wasn’t uploaded from a camera roll (where images can be downloaded from anywhere and altered).
Liveness detection technology typically uses sophisticated algorithms that can pull from several different data points to ensure the applicant is a real, living person. The simplest data points are:
- Image metadata (like when and where a photo was taken)
- The data within an image (like lighting or skin texture)
More advanced liveness detection might analyze reflexive signals that are hard to fake, like blinking or breathing.
Additional verification options include asking the potential tenant to complete “challenges.” These are active detection techniques that require applicants to perform a specific action—like posing, looking in a specific direction, or holding up a specific object. They’re much harder for bad actors to fake, even with a deepfake.
Automated Verification
Too busy for manual review? Automation is your best friend—it reduces the manual workload by instantly analyzing and matching data that humans can then verify.
Automated selfie identity verification is often more efficient and accurate. But you should always have a final (human) check to ensure accuracy.
Benefits of Selfie Identity Verification for Property Managers
Selfie identity verification is just one way property managers can combat bad actors involved in identity theft (especially with the rise of synthetic identity fraud) or other illegal activities.
While selfie identity verification isn’t completely foolproof, stacking it with other identity verification methods creates more secure tenant screening.
This approach is better for both property managers and tenants—current and future. It also makes it easier to catch and report identity fraud. Selfie identity verification should be a core tenet of your tenant screening process. Here’s why.
Enhanced Security
Selfie identity verification minimizes the risk of identity fraud because it verifies both the document submitted and the person submitting it—simultaneously. It’s easier for a fraudster to fake one or another but significantly harder to do both.
By confirming identity early on, you can prevent costly evictions, bad tenants, and potential legal challenges.
Streamlined Process
Manual identity checks are not only more time-consuming, but they’re a bigger burden for your staff. This drags the process out on your end and for applicants, too.
Technology like selfie identity verification is more efficient and easily integrates with the rest of the tenant application and screening process.
Improved Accuracy
While selfie identity verification technology isn’t perfect and sometimes results in false negatives (more on this in a minute), it does reduce human error. Technology can glitch, but people are far more likely to make mistakes when tired or unaware of their bias in decision-making.
For example, a landlord might have a lower opinion of an applicant who used a webcam instead of a smartphone camera. But the technology won’t weigh the image source differently if the submitted images are clear.
Convenience for Applicants
Prospective tenants are also busy, whether it’s apartment showings, a crazy work schedule, or parenting kids. But with selfie identity verification, they can confirm their identity remotely—no appointment required.
Many applicants may not want to bother with an application process that requires multiple in-person appointments.
How to Implement Selfie Identity Verification
Want to include selfie identity verification in your process? Before you do anything else, find the right solution, train your staff, and integrate it into your tenant screening process.
Choosing the Right Technology Provider
Not every technology provider is the same. Consider their compliance with data protection laws—like GDPR and CCPA—and check which apply to where you operate.
Another consideration is how accurate and reliable the software is. Software with a very high accuracy rate that constantly goes down for maintenance is less valuable than one that’s slightly less accurate but highly reliable.
But you also want a solution that integrates into your existing process—no need to reinvent the wheel. Do you use one platform for everything, or do you have several tools in your tech stack? Will this one easily work with your tenant screening platform?
Weigh everything and then decide what makes the most sense from a budget and staffing standpoint.
Training Staff
When determining whether you want to implement selfie identity verification, look at how long it’ll take to train staff. Does the solution offer training, or will you need to train the team yourself?
It’s crucial your team understands how the technology works—at least as an overview—to explain it to prospective tenants and understand how to handle the results.
Integrating with Your Tenant Screening Process
You’ll need to decide when and how to use selfie identity verification in your tenant screening process. Will you use it with every applicant or only when something is flagged as potentially fraudulent from another part of the process?
Create clear guidelines for your team so everyone understands your policy around selfie identity verification.
Pro tip: Combine this approach with other verification methods to build the comprehensive screening process we mentioned earlier.
Potential Challenges and How to Address Them
While selfie identity verification is an excellent tool for tenant screening, it isn’t completely foolproof, and not every potential tenant will be comfortable with it.
Be sure you understand any potential concerns and how to address them ahead of time.
Data Privacy and Security
Some potential renters will have concerns about data privacy and security breaches that could result from incorrect data processing or storage.
Verify that whichever solution you choose prioritizes secure storage and data encryption. And make sure you’re transparent with applicants about your process and what you do with their data.
Accessibility
Not every applicant will have access to smartphones or the internet. Consider how you’ll provide an accessible process for those prospective tenants.
You can do this by partnering with a local library to provide resources (like computer and webcam access) or offer alternative verification methods, like manual in-person verification.
False Positives and Negatives
While technology may allow for more accurate verification, you and your team should understand that it may still produce false positives or false negatives.
A false positive will approve someone who shouldn’t be approved, while a false negative will flag someone who should be approved.
Approving applicants who shouldn’t be puts your financial security–and possibly the security of your property and other residents–at risk.
However, denying applicants who should be approved lengthens the process and can negatively affect your reputation, especially if the mistake is a potential violation of the Fair Housing Act.
A final manual check in the review process is essential for flagged cases, but it is also ideal to double-check all instances.
Streamline Your Process with Selfie Identity Verification
Selfie identity verification is just one of the many tools property managers can use in the tenant screening process.
It’s faster and more efficient for you and your staff while requiring less work for prospective tenants. Selfie identity verification also seamlessly integrates with most modern tenant screening processes, so you don’t have to do a lot of extra work getting it set up.
Modern, efficient screening processes are more secure and convenient for everyone involved.
Additional Resources
Want to learn more about selfie identity verification? Check out how we do identity verification at Snappt or explore the risks of identity fraud: