Airbnb, the popular company that facilitates short term rentals, has allowed indoor cameras at its rentals in the past. Now the company is putting its foot down.
It announced this week that it is banning indoor security cameras globally in an effort to "simplify" its policy on security cameras and other devices as well as to "continue to prioritize the privacy of our community."
These changes go into effect April 30 to give hosts time to update their rental if necessary. Until then, clearly visible indoor cameras will still be allowed in common areas such as hallways and living rooms, as long as they are disclosed on the rental listing page. Cameras have never been allowed in sleeping areas or bedrooms.
However, these rules haven't always stopped Airbnb posts in the past.
In March of 2019, The Atlantic reported on the service's "hidden camera problem" and included the story of a man who said he found a camera recording him in the bedroom of his rental. A month later, CNN reported on the story of a New Zealand family who found a hidden camera recording them at their rental in Cork, Ireland.
Outlets such as USA Today and The Independent have even published tips about how to check short term rentals like those from Airbnb and VRBO for hidden cameras. Within the past year, people who posted on Reddit have also claimed to find cameras in their Airbnb that were not mentioned in listings.
Last summer, House Beautiful said VRBO did not permit indoor cameras unless the host disclosed their presence to the renter and allowed the renter to disable the cameras. It also said indoor cameras aren't very common in vacation rentals.
Indeed, Airbnb said the majority of listings on the site do not report having a security camera. Therefore, it expects the upcoming update will impact just a small group of its hosts.
"Alongside a ban on indoor cameras, the revised policy will also see more comprehensive rules on the use of outdoor security cameras and other devices, including noise decibel monitors," Airbnb said in its announcement.
What will be permitted?
Airbnb said devices such as doorbell cameras and noise decibel monitors will still be permitted going forward. These can help hosts monitor their home and deal with issues such as unauthorized parties while maintaining guest privacy.
Hosts will be required to "disclose the presence and general location of any outdoor cameras before guests book," and these cameras are not allowed to monitor indoor areas or outdoor areas that require increased privacy, including outdoor showers and saunas.
After the April 30 deadline, reported violations of the new policy brought to Airbnb's attention "will be investigated, and action we take can include listing or account removal," said the company.
