October 14, 2026
''I Would Never Put My ID on the Internet": What One Landlady Taught Me About Trust
A landlady told me this week she would never put her ID on the internet. I could have made an exception. I didn't. Here is what I did instead -and why it made RooMate better.
Article by Dr Sotiria Moschopoulou, Founder of RooMate
What she said
She was kind about it. She would happily give me the information she would put in any listing, but no personal details until contracts are signed. She also suggested that the platform could post her listing for her.
That is a reasonable instinct. Handing over an identity document to a website you have just met feels risky, and many people feel the same way.
Why I did not make an exception
I explained in an earlier post why ID verification is compulsory on RooMate. The short version: a trust badge only means something if everyone has one. The moment one member is exempt, every woman who relies on the badge is relying on something that is no longer true.
So the rule stays. What can change is how well I explain it.
A lesson from a stranger's renovation
I have followed Vitaliy Katsenelson's newsletter for years, and one story from it came to mind. He had to hire contractors for a big job in a field he knew nothing about, and he felt confused and afraid of who to trust. He interviewed about a dozen of them, spoke very little, and opened by admitting he knew nothing and would be asking basic questions. He learned from the competent ones and from the incompetent ones. You can read the original here: https://investor.fm/you-dont-need-to-be-an-expert-to-hire-one-you-need-a-tunaman/
It made me see the landlady's message differently. She was not objecting. She was asking a basic question that nobody had answered yet.
What I built
On the verification screen there is now a section called "No silly questions." It shows exactly what happens, in three steps, and what RooMate never does.
How it works:
Snap. A photo of your ID card or passport. Verify. Our verification partner, iDenfy, checks the document is genuine. Done. Your Trust Badge unlocks and you can start listing or connecting.
What RooMate never does:
Never stores your ID photo or passport scan. Never shares your document, surname or full address with other members. Never charges landladies to list or to reply to messages.
It works in English and in Greek, and it links to iDenfy's own security page so you do not have to take my word for how your data is protected.
What happens next
She may still say no, and that is her choice. But the explanation is now in the product, so the next woman who asks the same question does not have to wait for me to answer it.
The lesson
People do not resist safety. They resist not understanding it. Hold the line, explain it kindly, and leave the door open.
If you have a question about verification, ask it. There are no silly questions. Or book a short call with me.
Photo by Agus Dietrich on Unsplash
Dr Sotiria Moschopoulou is a Greek dentist, 3-year Airbnb Superhostess and 5-year landlady based in London, and the founder of RooMate, a trust-based roommate matching platform for women in Athens. RooMate operates as a single-sex service under Schedule 3, Part 7 of the Equality Act 2010.