Tenant Identity Verification for Secure Lease Signing

TL;DR: Tenant identity verification makes digital lease signing more secure by confirming that the right person signs the agreement. BoldSign enables this with ID and selfie verification before signing, helping reduce fraud, disputes, and risks in remote leasing.

Verifying tenant identity before lease signing helps landlords, property managers, and real estate teams reduce rental fraud, prevent signature disputes, and build trust in remote leasing workflows.

With BoldSign’s signer identity verification, tenants can be asked to verify their identity before accessing and signing a lease agreement. This adds an extra layer of assurance by helping confirm that the person signing the lease is the intended recipient.

BoldSign’s identity verification is powered by Stripe Identity and can require tenants to provide a government-issued photo ID and complete a selfie check before signing.

Why tenant identity verification matters for lease agreements

Lease agreements involve financial commitments, property access, and legal responsibilities. When identity verification is weak, real estate teams may face issues such as:

• Rental Fraud – Fraudulent applicants using stolen or fake identities to secure properties, resulting in financial losses, property damage, or complicated evictions.

• Signature Disputes – Challenges to lease validity when the signer’s identity can’t be proven, potentially leading to “I didn’t sign this” claims.

• Regulatory Non-Compliance – Failure to meet local/national requirements for tenant due diligence, risking penalties.

• Eviction & Recovery Challenges – Imposters complicate legal processes and increase defaults or damage.

Adding identity verification before lease signing helps reduce these risks while keeping the signing process digital.

How BoldSign helps verify tenant identity

BoldSign’s signer identity verification helps confirm a signer’s identity before they can access and sign a document.

• Uploading a government-issued photo ID, such as a passport, driver’s license, or supported national ID
• Capturing a live selfie
• Comparing the selfie with the ID photo
• Checking the signer’s name against the name on the ID
• Recording verification and signing activity in the audit trail

This is especially useful for remote lease signings, high-value rentals, and workflows where the landlord or property manager does not meet the tenant in person.

Key Identity Verification Options in BoldSign

BoldSign provides flexible identity verification settings, including:

• Verification frequency: Choose when signers need to verify their identity.
• Selective verification: Apply verification only to specific signers, such as the primary tenant.
• Attempt limits: Limit repeated failed verification attempts.
• Supported documents and countries: Configure acceptable identity documents where supported.
• Selfie verification: Add a selfie check for stronger identity assurance.

This integrates seamlessly with BoldSign’s e-signature tools for a secure, compliant workflow.

Before you start

Before setting up identity verification for a lease agreement, prepare:

• An active BoldSign account
• The lease agreement document
• The tenant’s email address
• The tenant’s legal name as it appears on their government-issued ID

Using the tenant’s correct legal name is important because name mismatches may prevent successful verification.

How to Set Up Identity Verification for Lease Signing in BoldSign

Follow these steps to enable identity verification for a lease agreement:

Steps

Create a new document: In BoldSign, start the document creation process by selecting Create New Document.

Upload Document: Upload the document intended for signature in the Add file(s) section. 

Add Signer Details: Specify the details of the signer from whom you require document signatures. 

BoldSign automatically compares the signer’s name with the name on the uploaded identification document. Any discrepancies may prevent the signer from accessing the document. Therefore, ensure that the signer’s name matches the identification document’s name, avoiding the use of nicknames or abbreviations. 

Enable Authentication: Click on the Settings button to reveal additional options, then activate Authentication and select Identity Verification as the preferred signer authentication method. 

Proceed to Next Step: Click on the Next button to advance to the subsequent step in the document creation process. 

Place Signature and Send: Add the signature and other required fields to the document. Once you have finalized the document, click on the Send button to send it for signature.

Pro Tip: For multi-tenant leases, apply verification selectively to tenants only.

What the tenant experiences during verification

The process is intuitive and mobile/desktop-friendly with no app download required:

• Tenant clicks the “Review and Sign” link in the email.
• They are prompted to verify identity first.

Guided steps:

Failed attempts may prompt retries (up to configured limits).

Benefits of verified lease signing

Using identity verification in lease workflows can help real estate teams:

• Reduce the risk of rental fraud
• Strengthen signer authentication for remote agreements
• Reduce disputes about who signed the lease
• Improve confidence in digital lease workflows
• Keep verification and signing activity documented
• Support faster lease completion without requiring in-person checks

Best practices for lease identity verification 

To make identity verification smoother:

• Use the tenant’s full legal name
• Tell tenants in advance that ID verification will be required
• Apply verification based on risk level
• Test the workflow before using it for high-value leases
• Use selective verification for multi-signer leases
• Review audit trail details when needed for records or disputes

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid these issues when using identity verification:

• Entering nicknames instead of legal names
• Applying verification to every signer when only one signer needs it
• Not informing tenants before sending the lease
• Using unclear instructions for remote signers
• Relying on identity verification alone instead of reviewing the full leasing process

Conclusion

Tenant identity verification helps make digital lease signing more secure and trustworthy, especially when leases are signed remotely.

With BoldSign, property managers and real estate teams can request identity verification before lease access, helping confirm signer identity and reduce the risk of fraud or signing disputes.

By combining identity verification with BoldSign’s eSignature workflow, teams can create a smoother and more reliable leasing process.

Ready to secure your lease agreements? Sign up for BoldSign and start using identity verification today. Need assistance? Reach us via the support portal or book a demo.