Camera ban will affect shared spaces in "rooms for rent" where owner lives in home and rents out guest rooms, or invested and rents out all rooms separately.

[Sherri176]

On the recent indoor Camera ban March 2024: this is not good for hosts who share their home and rent out guest rooms. I rent my 2 guest rooms to mid term/long term renters (30+ day stays). I was able to prove a guy said he was going to punch my dog...they didn't even cancel his reservation until the following day, so he got to threaten violence and still stay with me while I live in the home and he rented the guest room...the cameras don't protect me from bodily injury obviously but they showed proof of acts of verbal aggression. Cameras are necessary to host who SHARE their home. These days you are not innocent of anything unless you can prove it. Yes, I will comply. Yes, it will affect my ability to prove unacceptable guest behaviors. Yes this ban should be for hosts renting out the entire dwelling.

....my indoor camera in my living room protected me as a host to keep my account active by proving things the guest said and did (Airbnb actually blocked my access to my account while they investigated) ....the cameras showed me to NOT be at fault.... so I could continue hosting. I do month to month fully furnished all bills paid rooms with mini kitchenettes, tall dorm fridges, 2 person breakfast table in each room and only have 3 cameras, the front door, the living room, and the kitchen. So crazy how after 4 years this indoor camera ban happens. Since I live in the home I should be allowed to keep my camera in the kitchen and the living room.

Further, There should be zero expectation of privacy in a shared living room and shared kitchen when the guest rents a room. Privacy is for the room the they rent and the bathroom. If you are living in my house with I should be allowed to have a camera in the living room and the kitchen. Great rule for hosts who rent out the whole house though. Interesting though....if you have a motel or hotel you can list the rooms for rent on airbnb and you get to keep the cameras in the lobby. Maybe consider my living room is my lobby. I rent out my 2 guest rooms to mid term and long terms renters. I live in the house in the master bedroom. Can't believe I have to take my 2 cameras down in my shared spaces.

[Abi010]

Hi Jerry,  there's going to be many of us not hosting come April 30th, unless it review this arbitrary policy especially for live in host which I am

[Sherri176]

Thank you for your thoughts on this from all of you replying to my post… I am a little nervous about retaliation from Bnb for sharing my dissenting opinion but I did send a reply to the original email I got about the new indoor camera rules . Here is what my reply looks like in case you want to copy and paste (then edit to fit your situation )

and send a similar reply.

I am not encouraging replies to the email… I don’t want anything bad to happen to anybody’s business but I thought I would let everyone know that I replied and I will come back if I’m able to and give an update but honestly if there’s any good news we will all get a worldwide global email.

copy of my reply:

Thank you for the update to your policy on cameras which will go into effect April 30 of 2024.

I have been a super host for about four years and I have a perfect five star rating.

I wanted to provide my opinion.

I live in a three bedroom two bath home in the Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, Metroplex and I rent out the two guest bedrooms on the first floor to guests who typically stay 30 to 180 days and I live in the master bedroom on the second floor. I share my home with strangers. I also bring my grandchildren over to play and visit on Sunday afternoons.

I strongly feel you should revise your rule to only affect people who are renting out entire homes. People absolutely have the right to privacy when they are renting an entire property…

 However when they are in my home that I am also living in, I feel they do not have the right to privacy in my kitchen that I also use and I feel they do not have the right to privacy in my living room, which I also use.

 However, this is only my opinion, and I will comply with your new rules, but I do hope that you will review my opinion, and take it into consideration.

I strongly feel you should allow cameras in shared spaces such as the kitchen, living room, game room, to the hosts who are renting out rooms.

[Anoop16]

I agree with you. We too are senior citizen who live on ground floor and have put our 2 bedrooms on first floor on rent through Airbnb. For safety reasons have placed a camera in living room facing the main entry door and the other in the common lobby of first floor. This is only to ensure the safety and security of both hosts and guests. How are these interfering with the privacy? The world is changing and one has to be safe and secure. As you said Airbnb should remove this requirement. Thanks 

[Richard-and-Debbie3]

We live in our home as well and rent a room. We have had guests try to enter our bedroom while we were sleeping. We have had them use are dishes and then put them back used. We have had guests doing drugs  right at the door. It is a saftey issue while we are in our home. We will be shutting down our listing on April 30th because of the new policy and it is a shame. 

[Johannes103]

The same, they can de list me. I get more bookings on other platforms. My life, security more important. 

Public Shared spaces like lounge. Patio. Hallways, dinningroom and my bar must be monitor. But private rooms I got no cameras.

Some one at Airbnb did not brainstorm it.

[Sherri176]

Please share with the class the platform you use that gets you more bookings!

[LucasandLaís0 · Accepted solution]

I’ve been hosting and managing 30+ listings on airbnb for 5 years. All private bedrooms on shared spaces. Here are some examples of how a common area security cameras helped me and my guests:

- money stolen registered by kitchen camera

- another guest’s bedroom invaded on purpose by another guest (registered by dining room camera)

- smoking inside registered by kitchen camera

- multiple situations of parties and unauthorized guests

- house rules being reinforced, such as kitchen cleaning after usage

- multiple situations of stuff being broken

- etc

I am really upset about this because I know it’s going to be an issue. Like stated by other hosts, our common areas should be treated as a lobby (privacy are not to be expected). I’ve had countless guests who thanked me for having cameras on the common areas, and how it made them feel safe.

Airbnb requires proof for rules being violated, are they just going to pay hosts for damages without evidence? 

The cameras help attract good guests with good behaviors and intimidate bad guests with bad behaviors.

[Juan804]

I have been a SUPERHOST for 12 years now. Airbnb decided to put my listings on HOLD without prior warning because I have cameras. Not a phone call nor an email from them prior. Nothing. Mafia style. This just shows how little care and respect Airbnb has for us! We make their money!

My cameras are in non-public places like my kitchen and living room. One is pointing at my door for my Amazon deliveries. It is MY HOME! I want to feel secure in my own place without violating my guests' privacy.

This is unacceptable. Airbnb's treatment of hosts like me, who have been dedicated and reliable for years, is disgraceful.

[Sheldon79]

Same thing here, we had a camera in the living room, very obvious and another camera in the kitchen on the shelf, visible but not obvious. Iwe caught a guest possible petty thief, going through all of our drawers and cupboards when we told them they were off-limits. And that said guest then filed a complaint with Airbnb about the security cameras that they got caught on. Airbnb instantly banned our account even after two years of hosting and 165 five star reviews and the guests falsified one star review still allowed to stand. thinking of stopping Airbnb due to the shared spaces with me and my wife and daughter, it is our right to have them monitored. 

[Suzanne302]

@Sherri176 

Agree with everyone else saying shared homes should be allowed cameras in the common areas. It is a completely different experience renting a room in someone's primary residence, than it is renting a whole house. Of course there's an expectation of privacy at a whole house rental because you have paid to rent the entire space and a camera in that case would be absolutely out of line.

But when renting a room in my home, a guest can fully expect to encounter me in my living room or kitchen and has no expectation of privacy in those shared spaces. How is me observing them any different from a camera?

Again, if a guest has no expectation of privacy in an area, a host has every right to install a camera.

[Sherri176]

I don’t know how we can do this, but for some reason I believe this posting, and others like it…especially with replies as solid and reasonable as yours, need to have thousands of likes and shares not 10 or 20 in order for Airbnb decision makers to notice.

[Juan804]

I agree, but don't worry but we are THOUSANDS to read it!! 
Very BAD MOVE from AIRBNB. And it is gonna cost them big time!

[Andrey42]

I agree. This is ridiculous and very dangerous for hosts that have shared spaces. I think we should start commenting about this and complaining on all their social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, etc. If a good number of people do this they’ll start to reconsider. 

[Dottie9]

How can a security camera be banned in the home you own and live in?  I also have had guest thank me for the camera in my living room.  It is safety for all in the house!  This ban is wrong.

[Jim2326]

I am not happy about banning indoor cameras in shared spaces. I guess I can cancel my Ring subscription and sell the cameras since I can not use them anymore. It was nice knowing I had the extra security of indoor cameras.