Airbnb made a major policy change this week that prohibits all indoor security cameras from its properties. Previously, the devices were permitted only in certain common areas—such as living rooms and hallways—as long as they were disclosed on the listing page and made clearly visible.
Starting April 30, the new Airbnb camera policy will ban all indoor security camera at its properties around the world. The decision was made after “extensive consultation” with guests and hosts, as well as privacy experts and advocacy groups, a spokesperson for Airbnb tells Condé Nast Traveler. Since the majority of listings don’t report having security cameras, the company only expects the change to affect a small number of properties, it said in a release.
The new regulations also include stricter rules on outdoor surveillance devices and noise monitors. Outdoor cameras, like Ring doorbells, remain permitted; however, Airbnb hosts must disclose the location any outdoor cameras before guests book. Outdoor-style security cameras will also be prohibited from monitoring indoor areas, and can't be pointed at outdoor spaces where privacy is expected, like outdoor showers and saunas. Noise-decibel monitors (which assess sound levels but do not record or transmit any sound) remain permitted in indoor common spaces of Airbnb listings, as long as they are disclosed beforehand.
The policy formally goes into effect at the end of April; this six-week delay in the change going into effect is designed to give hosts time to comply with the new rules. Hosts who violate the new policy after that date will be investigated and may have their listings or account removed from the platform, Airbnb says.
In recent years, concerns about hidden cameras at Airbnbs have become a hot topic, with some guests scanning units for possible devices upon check-in. But even permitted cameras, located in so-called public spaces, could lead to an unsettling feeling of being watched.
“Right now privacy is extremely important in consumers' minds,” Dr. Recep Karaburun, of New York University’s School of Professional Studies’ Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, tells Traveler. Karaburun notes that some people prefer hotels over Airbnbs because they can rest assured they aren’t being surveilled: “What Airbnb always plays into is trust. When trust is broken, it impacts their customer service,” he says.
As security cameras have become cheaper and mobile apps have made it easier to monitor video footage in real-time, amateur surveillance of personal property has become more common. Airbnb has also become associated with guests who host unauthorized parties at rental properties—and these devices give hosts a way to keep an eye on matters in real time.
“In the beginning, it started with a good intention for hosts to actually watch over their homes,” Karaburun says. “But when a few stories came out that some Airbnb guests found hidden cameras—that became big news, and I am sure that actually hurt [the company].”
According to a 2023 survey of 1,000 vacation renters conducted by the home security company SafeHome, 6% of guests said they’d found undisclosed cameras in their vacation rentals and 42% of potential renters said that security cameras would make them less likely to book a vacation property; 38% of the guests surveyed said that they would feel safer at short-term rentals with cameras, while 34% said that they would feel less safe.
Dr. Jungho Suh of The George Washington University School of Business says hidden cameras are not the only safety concerns when it comes to vacation rentals. The verification and screening processes for both Airbnb guests and hosts needs to be assessed more stringently, he says, in order to prevent discrimination, ensure more accurate and transparent listings, and to physically protect guests. “For instance, the current policy on key exchanges [allows] potential for the duplication of keys, which could lead to serious break-ins,” he tells Traveler.
Karaburun agrees that better screening is needed, as well as improved emergency preparedness. Hotels, he notes, are required to have signage highlighting emergency exits, as well as regular property inspections to ensure working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms; fire extinguishers; and the like.
Hotels and short-term rentals each have their own benefits and drawbacks, and it's up to each traveler to decide their personal preference. At the end of the day, many Airbnb listings are also hosts' long-term homes—and the company's rules must exist in a delicate balance.
