Committee advances bill allowing short-term-rental owners to require photo ID and decline bookings

Senator Thompson told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Senate Bill 17 69 is intended to give short-term rental owners protections similar to hotels, allowing them to require photo identification and to cancel a booking when a renter’s ID does not match payment or booking information.

Thompson said the proposal includes protections for property owners and expands the definition of owner to include property managers or persons designated by the owner. She said she consulted chiefs of police in Edmond, Piedmont and Oklahoma City and described the measure as a statewide conversation to support municipalities. "After she brought this to me last year... this is trying to offer some protections for the property owner," Thompson said. The sponsor also recounted an owner-report of $14,000 in guest damage to illustrate the problem.

Committee members asked whether other states have similar laws; Thompson said she did not find any and that Airbnb engaged on the issue only recently. Senator Brooks asked whether requiring photo ID could enable discriminatory refusals; Thompson pointed to existing state anti-discrimination law and compared the practice to hotels, saying the bill does not intend to permit discrimination. Members also asked about financial penalties and rating-system consequences from STR platforms; Thompson said penalties on platforms may include rating impacts and that the bill’s language allows owners to act "without penalty."

The committee adopted an amendment expanding the definition of owner and advanced the bill (committee announced 8 ayes, 0 nays). Thompson said she welcomes feedback to refine the bill language before floor consideration.