# Surrender your driver's license to tour apartment complex: Is this common? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633 "2011-12-18T13:17:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/101 "2015-11-26T16:30:44Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I’m not going to quote all of the old comments on this, but HOW is it for the safety of the rental agent? Do you really believe that there are people who are fine with murder but balk at a fake ID? Or if someone isn’t a careful murderer, that holding their license magically holds their rage at the world in check? No one seems to actually come up with how this provides any real safety. The real estate folks may think so. 🙂 I’ll go with the sales pitch. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/102 "2015-11-26T17:37:07Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I’m not going to quote all of the old comments on this, but HOW is it for the safety of the rental agent? Do you really believe that there are people who are fine with murder but balk at a fake ID? Or if someone isn’t a careful murderer, that holding their license magically holds their rage at the world in check? No one seems to actually come up with how this provides any real safety. It’s one more step of complexity in murdering apartment agents and maybe you’ll go murder someone else who doesn’t require a (false) ID instead. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/103 "2015-11-26T20:31:49Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Because of course if you’re going to rape and kill the apartment manager, there’s zero chance you’ll just grab the keys off her dead body, walk back to the office and take back your driver’s license. Or hand over a bogus license. :rolleyes: It’s a really stupid rule. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/104 "2015-11-26T22:25:12Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > If they don’t trust me, why should I trust them? Bit of a weird attitude, that. Do you feel the same way about businesses that install security cameras? Places that employ security guards? Do you feel that there’s an inherent imbalance when you go to a museum and ask you to open your purse, without them emptying their pockets in return? No place of business trusts you, unless they personally know you. And possibly not even then. Every business you go to is taking active precautions against you stealing from them or harming their employees. Getting insulted over it is naive in the extreme. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/105 "2015-11-26T23:38:12Z")
Interesting that I read this thread right after the Israel driving license thread. I wouldn’t make a fuss over handing over my driver’s license to tour an apartment building, although I don’t remember having to do so in quite a long time. I figure it’s more security masquerade. I can’t remember ever really getting a hard sale from an apartment building, maybe a “apply within 24 hours and we will waive the application fee or give a credit on first month rent” but certainly not a hard sale like buying a car or joining a gym. These days, where it’s usually easy to search online for apartments, I only have to tour a very small number before I decide. Back in the For Rent mag days, I often abandoned apartment tours midway through when I knew the place was a No. But I’m really not paranoid about someone seeing my driver’s license. From the Israeli driver license thread, it reminded me of my days back in the 90s when I worked for a rental car company. Some of the high season temps and part time weekend help were people I really wouldn’t want seeing my ID, but of course, you would have no choice. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/106 "2015-11-27T00:22:36Z")
I’ve heard of this, but never been asked to hand over my license. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/107 "2015-11-27T05:58:02Z")
I’ve never heard of anyone demanding to keep it, but I’ve had plenty of them that want a copy of it for the records. I would walk out if they wanted to keep it until the tour was finished. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/108 "2015-11-27T13:36:24Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Bit of a weird attitude, that. Do you feel the same way about businesses that install security cameras? Places that employ security guards? Do you feel that there’s an inherent imbalance when you go to a museum and ask you to open your purse, without them emptying their pockets in return? Well, I always do a quick pat-down of the TSA dude after he’s finished with me. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/109 "2015-11-27T15:04:18Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > If they don’t trust me, why should I trust them? > > As I said - I’ve been renting 30+ years and have NEVER needed to hand over my license to look at a prospective apartment. Why should I start now? > [@Miller](#): > > Bit of a weird attitude, that. Do you feel the same way about businesses that install security cameras? Places that employ security guards? Do you feel that there’s an inherent imbalance when you go to a museum and ask you to open your purse, without them emptying their pockets in return? > > No place of business trusts you, unless they personally know you. And possibly not even then. Every business you go to is taking active precautions against you stealing from them or harming their employees. Getting insulted over it is naive in the extreme. You mean the bonded realtor who used peoples’ personal ID to register fraudulent mortgages and keep the money? Just because something is a reasonable security precaution for one of the parties does not mean that compliance by the other party is without risk for the other party. Thus the distaste. Sure, getting annoyed by the embuggerance of having to bend over is not productive, but being put at risk is not palatable nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/110 "2015-11-27T15:14:48Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Well, I always do a quick pat-down of the TSA dude after he’s finished with me. One of my friends enjoyed the Canadian airport security wanding so much that she made a graceful pirouette and bow for him. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/111 "2015-11-28T15:18:38Z")
> [@userfriendly](#): > > I have had to move frequently for my job over the past 40 years and this is normal practice in TX, CA, NV, OR and AZ. I have not had any issues at all. I would rather they hold it in the office and give it back than to make a copy of it. I don’t think they do that anymore due to fraud concerns. No need to freak out. They have to protect themselves and treat everyone the same by law. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t the only one who handed my license over every time and didn’t even think twice about it. What are they gonna do, get back to the office and pretend they don’t have it? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/112 "2015-11-28T15:26:11Z")
> [@Small\_Hen](#): > > I wanted to make sure I wasn’t the only one who handed my license over every time and didn’t even think twice about it. What are they gonna do, get back to the office and pretend they don’t have it? Or scan it into some electronic database seven days before they get hacked, and then not mention it for three months. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/113 "2015-11-28T15:47:40Z")
I suppose the license would be preferable to a photocopy because it might have a good fingerprint or two on it. Nonetheless, I’m sure this is a sales technique. I’ve had it happen many times, always in large complexes with obvious sales scripts and advertising free cookies which are almost never actually proffered. :mad: The salespeople themselves are led to believe that it’s for their safety, leading to a very suspicious, even fearful response toward anyone who questions it. But the real reason is that it gives them control over you. Getting you to cede control at the beginning of the conversation is the sales person’s first hurdle. Its just like when the car dealer offers to take your keys and inspect your trade-in while you test drive one of theirs. Control. You can’t leave without being rude to them now. Most Americans will give up hours of their day before they break down and demand their basic rights. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/114 "2015-11-28T19:23:46Z")
When I was apartment-hunting a few years ago, I don’t remember having to present ID until I signed a lease, but maybe it’s became I’m a woman. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633/115 "2015-11-30T09:07:17Z")
Lot’s of places I visit or work, I have to sign in and take a number, then sign out and return the number when I leave. It’s standard practice for “safety” reasons, to handle “emergancy evacuations” (ie total BS, but standard practice). So I’m looking at this and seeing that they can count the number of DL’s they still have, and get the number of people still in the building, and they’ve made worrying about signing out your problem, rather than theirs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surrender-your-drivers-license-to-tour-apartment-complex-is-this-common/606633.md?page=5)