diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/device_key_id.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/device_key_id.rs
index ce6ee730..f824c286 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/device_key_id.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/device_key_id.rs
@@ -10,21 +10,23 @@ pub struct DeviceKeyId<T> {
     colon_idx: NonZeroU8,
 }
 
-impl<T> DeviceKeyId<T> {
+impl<T> DeviceKeyId<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `DeviceKeyId`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> DeviceKeyId<&str> {
+        DeviceKeyId { full_id: self.full_id.as_ref(), colon_idx: self.colon_idx }
+    }
+
     /// Returns key algorithm of the device key ID.
-    pub fn algorithm(&self) -> DeviceKeyAlgorithm
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn algorithm(&self) -> DeviceKeyAlgorithm {
         DeviceKeyAlgorithm::from_str(&self.full_id.as_ref()[..self.colon_idx.get() as usize])
             .unwrap()
     }
 
     /// Returns device ID of the device key ID.
-    pub fn device_id(&self) -> DeviceIdRef<'_>
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn device_id(&self) -> DeviceIdRef<'_> {
         &self.full_id.as_ref()[self.colon_idx.get() as usize + 1..]
     }
 }
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/event_id.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/event_id.rs
index 998659d6..feffc248 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/event_id.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/event_id.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ pub struct EventId<T> {
     colon_idx: Option<NonZeroU8>,
 }
 
-impl<T> EventId<T> {
+impl<T> EventId<T>
+where
+    String: Into<T>,
+{
     /// Attempts to generate an `EventId` for the given origin server with a localpart consisting
     /// of 18 random ASCII characters. This should only be used for events in the original format
     /// as used by Matrix room versions 1 and 2.
@@ -55,24 +58,28 @@ impl<T> EventId<T> {
     /// parsed as a valid host.
     #[cfg(feature = "rand")]
     #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "rand")))]
-    pub fn new(server_name: ServerNameRef<'_>) -> Self
-    where
-        String: Into<T>,
-    {
+    pub fn new(server_name: ServerNameRef<'_>) -> Self {
         use crate::generate_localpart;
 
         let full_id = format!("${}:{}", generate_localpart(18), server_name).into();
 
         Self { full_id, colon_idx: NonZeroU8::new(19) }
     }
+}
+
+impl<T> EventId<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `EventId`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> EventId<&str> {
+        EventId { full_id: self.full_id.as_ref(), colon_idx: self.colon_idx }
+    }
 
     /// Returns the event's unique ID. For the original event format as used by Matrix room
     /// versions 1 and 2, this is the "localpart" that precedes the homeserver. For later formats,
     /// this is the entire ID without the leading $ sigil.
-    pub fn localpart(&self) -> &str
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn localpart(&self) -> &str {
         let idx = match self.colon_idx {
             Some(idx) => idx.get() as usize,
             None => self.full_id.as_ref().len(),
@@ -84,10 +91,7 @@ impl<T> EventId<T> {
     /// Returns the server name of the event ID.
     ///
     /// Only applicable to events in the original format as used by Matrix room versions 1 and 2.
-    pub fn server_name(&self) -> Option<ServerNameRef<'_>>
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn server_name(&self) -> Option<ServerNameRef<'_>> {
         self.colon_idx.map(|idx| {
             ServerNameRef::try_from(&self.full_id.as_ref()[idx.get() as usize + 1..]).unwrap()
         })
@@ -162,7 +166,7 @@ mod tests {
         let server_name =
             ServerNameRef::try_from("example.com").expect("Failed to parse ServerName");
         let event_id = EventId::new(server_name);
-        let id_str: &str = event_id.as_ref();
+        let id_str = event_id.as_str();
 
         assert!(id_str.starts_with('$'));
         assert_eq!(id_str.len(), 31);
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/key_algorithms.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/key_algorithms.rs
index a4879b6e..3b489f2a 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/key_algorithms.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/key_algorithms.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 use strum::{AsRefStr, Display, EnumString};
 
-/// The basic key algorithms in the specification
+/// The basic key algorithms in the specification.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, AsRefStr, Display, EnumString)]
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "serde", derive(Deserialize, Serialize))]
 #[non_exhaustive]
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ pub enum DeviceKeyAlgorithm {
     SignedCurve25519,
 }
 
+/// The server key algorithms defined in the Matrix spec.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord, AsRefStr, Display, EnumString)]
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "serde", derive(Deserialize, Serialize))]
 #[non_exhaustive]
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/lib.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/lib.rs
index 168f0fa8..df4d10ce 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/lib.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,7 @@
 //! for events, rooms, room aliases, room versions, and users.
 
 #![warn(rust_2018_idioms)]
-#![deny(
-    missing_copy_implementations,
-    missing_debug_implementations,
-    //missing_docs
-)]
+#![deny(missing_copy_implementations, missing_debug_implementations, missing_docs)]
 // Since we support Rust 1.36.0, we can't apply this suggestion yet
 #![allow(clippy::use_self)]
 #![cfg_attr(docsrs, feature(doc_cfg))]
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/macros.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/macros.rs
index a072a6aa..24b8a54d 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/macros.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/macros.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
+/// Declares an item with a doc attribute computed by some macro expression.
+/// This allows documentation to be dynamically generated based on input.
+/// Necessary to work around https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/52607.
+macro_rules! doc_concat {
+    ( $( #[doc = $doc:expr] $thing:item )* ) => ( $( #[doc = $doc] $thing )* );
+}
+
 macro_rules! common_impls {
     ($id:ident, $try_from:ident, $desc:literal) => {
+        impl<T: ::std::convert::AsRef<str>> $id<T> {
+            doc_concat! {
+                #[doc = concat!("Creates a string slice from this `", stringify!($id), "`")]
+                pub fn as_str(&self) -> &str {
+                    self.full_id.as_ref()
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        impl<'a> ::std::convert::From<&'a $id<Box<str>>> for $id<&'a str> {
+            fn from(id: &'a $id<Box<str>>) -> Self {
+                id.as_ref()
+            }
+        }
+
         impl ::std::convert::From<$id<Box<str>>> for ::std::string::String {
             fn from(id: $id<Box<str>>) -> Self {
                 id.full_id.into()
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/room_alias_id.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/room_alias_id.rs
index fc0cccf1..01000551 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/room_alias_id.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/room_alias_id.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,15 @@ pub struct RoomAliasId<T> {
     pub(crate) colon_idx: NonZeroU8,
 }
 
-impl<T: AsRef<str>> RoomAliasId<T> {
+impl<T> RoomAliasId<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `RoomAliasId`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> RoomAliasId<&str> {
+        RoomAliasId { full_id: self.full_id.as_ref(), colon_idx: self.colon_idx }
+    }
+
     /// Returns the room's alias.
     pub fn alias(&self) -> &str {
         &self.full_id.as_ref()[1..self.colon_idx.get() as usize]
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id.rs
index cee4a567..672020a8 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id.rs
@@ -26,37 +26,41 @@ pub struct RoomId<T> {
     pub(crate) colon_idx: NonZeroU8,
 }
 
-impl<T> RoomId<T> {
+impl<T> RoomId<T>
+where
+    String: Into<T>,
+{
     /// Attempts to generate a `RoomId` for the given origin server with a localpart consisting of
     /// 18 random ASCII characters.
     ///
     /// Fails if the given homeserver cannot be parsed as a valid host.
     #[cfg(feature = "rand")]
     #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "rand")))]
-    pub fn new(server_name: ServerNameRef<'_>) -> Self
-    where
-        String: Into<T>,
-    {
+    pub fn new(server_name: ServerNameRef<'_>) -> Self {
         use crate::generate_localpart;
 
         let full_id = format!("!{}:{}", generate_localpart(18), server_name).into();
 
         Self { full_id, colon_idx: NonZeroU8::new(19).unwrap() }
     }
+}
+
+impl<T> RoomId<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `RoomId`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> RoomId<&str> {
+        RoomId { full_id: self.full_id.as_ref(), colon_idx: self.colon_idx }
+    }
 
     /// Returns the rooms's unique ID.
-    pub fn localpart(&self) -> &str
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn localpart(&self) -> &str {
         &self.full_id.as_ref()[1..self.colon_idx.get() as usize]
     }
 
     /// Returns the server name of the room ID.
-    pub fn server_name(&self) -> ServerNameRef<'_>
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn server_name(&self) -> ServerNameRef<'_> {
         ServerNameRef::try_from(&self.full_id.as_ref()[self.colon_idx.get() as usize + 1..])
             .unwrap()
     }
@@ -103,7 +107,7 @@ mod tests {
         let server_name =
             ServerNameRef::try_from("example.com").expect("Failed to parse ServerName");
         let room_id = RoomId::new(server_name);
-        let id_str: &str = room_id.as_ref();
+        let id_str = room_id.as_str();
 
         assert!(id_str.starts_with('!'));
         assert_eq!(id_str.len(), 31);
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id_or_room_alias_id.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id_or_room_alias_id.rs
index 3af9f604..b9f59012 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id_or_room_alias_id.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/room_id_or_room_alias_id.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,15 @@ pub struct RoomIdOrAliasId<T> {
     colon_idx: NonZeroU8,
 }
 
-impl<T: AsRef<str>> RoomIdOrAliasId<T> {
+impl<T> RoomIdOrAliasId<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `RoomIdOrAliasId`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> RoomIdOrAliasId<&str> {
+        RoomIdOrAliasId { full_id: self.full_id.as_ref(), colon_idx: self.colon_idx }
+    }
+
     /// Returns the local part (everything after the `!` or `#` and before the first colon).
     pub fn localpart(&self) -> &str {
         &self.full_id.as_ref()[1..self.colon_idx.get() as usize]
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/server_key_id.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/server_key_id.rs
index f19d514b..57318557 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/server_key_id.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/server_key_id.rs
@@ -11,21 +11,23 @@ pub struct ServerKeyId<T> {
     colon_idx: NonZeroU8,
 }
 
-impl<T> ServerKeyId<T> {
+impl<T> ServerKeyId<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `ServerKeyId`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> ServerKeyId<&str> {
+        ServerKeyId { full_id: self.full_id.as_ref(), colon_idx: self.colon_idx }
+    }
+
     /// Returns key algorithm of the server key ID.
-    pub fn algorithm(&self) -> ServerKeyAlgorithm
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn algorithm(&self) -> ServerKeyAlgorithm {
         ServerKeyAlgorithm::from_str(&self.full_id.as_ref()[..self.colon_idx.get() as usize])
             .unwrap()
     }
 
     /// Returns the version of the server key ID.
-    pub fn version(&self) -> &str
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn version(&self) -> &str {
         &self.full_id.as_ref()[self.colon_idx.get() as usize + 1..]
     }
 }
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/server_name.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/server_name.rs
index 88f263bc..80027317 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/server_name.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/server_name.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,16 @@ pub struct ServerName<T> {
     full_id: T,
 }
 
+impl<T> ServerName<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `ServerName`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> ServerName<&str> {
+        ServerName { full_id: self.full_id.as_ref() }
+    }
+}
+
 fn try_from<S, T>(server_name: S) -> Result<ServerName<T>, Error>
 where
     S: AsRef<str> + Into<T>,
diff --git a/ruma-identifiers/src/user_id.rs b/ruma-identifiers/src/user_id.rs
index 753cda4f..63f3c5cc 100644
--- a/ruma-identifiers/src/user_id.rs
+++ b/ruma-identifiers/src/user_id.rs
@@ -32,15 +32,15 @@ pub struct UserId<T> {
     is_historical: bool,
 }
 
-impl<T> UserId<T> {
+impl<T> UserId<T>
+where
+    String: Into<T>,
+{
     /// Attempts to generate a `UserId` for the given origin server with a localpart consisting of
     /// 12 random ASCII characters.
     #[cfg(feature = "rand")]
     #[cfg_attr(docsrs, doc(cfg(feature = "rand")))]
-    pub fn new(server_name: ServerNameRef<'_>) -> Self
-    where
-        String: Into<T>,
-    {
+    pub fn new(server_name: ServerNameRef<'_>) -> Self {
         use crate::generate_localpart;
 
         let full_id = format!("@{}:{}", generate_localpart(12).to_lowercase(), server_name).into();
@@ -58,10 +58,7 @@ impl<T> UserId<T> {
     pub fn parse_with_server_name(
         id: impl AsRef<str> + Into<T>,
         server_name: ServerNameRef<'_>,
-    ) -> Result<Self, Error>
-    where
-        String: Into<T>,
-    {
+    ) -> Result<Self, Error> {
         let id_str = id.as_ref();
 
         if id_str.starts_with('@') {
@@ -76,24 +73,34 @@ impl<T> UserId<T> {
             })
         }
     }
+}
+
+impl<T> UserId<T>
+where
+    T: AsRef<str>,
+{
+    /// Creates a reference to this `UserId`.
+    pub fn as_ref(&self) -> UserId<&str> {
+        UserId {
+            full_id: self.full_id.as_ref(),
+            colon_idx: self.colon_idx,
+            is_historical: self.is_historical,
+        }
+    }
 
     /// Returns the user's localpart.
-    pub fn localpart(&self) -> &str
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn localpart(&self) -> &str {
         &self.full_id.as_ref()[1..self.colon_idx.get() as usize]
     }
 
     /// Returns the server name of the user ID.
-    pub fn server_name(&self) -> ServerNameRef<'_>
-    where
-        T: AsRef<str>,
-    {
+    pub fn server_name(&self) -> ServerNameRef<'_> {
         ServerNameRef::try_from(&self.full_id.as_ref()[self.colon_idx.get() as usize + 1..])
             .unwrap()
     }
+}
 
+impl<T> UserId<T> {
     /// Whether this user ID is a historical one, i.e. one that doesn't conform to the latest
     /// specification of the user ID grammar but is still accepted because it was previously
     /// allowed.
@@ -232,7 +239,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(user_id.localpart().len(), 12);
         assert_eq!(user_id.server_name(), "example.com");
 
-        let id_str: &str = user_id.as_ref();
+        let id_str = user_id.as_str();
 
         assert!(id_str.starts_with('@'));
         assert_eq!(id_str.len(), 25);