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.

[Jessica3398]

I completely agree with you @Sherri176. I also just rent rooms in my house and keep cameras in the shared spaces. I did message Airbnb and their reply was that if enough people complained about it, they might take it into consideration. Please massage them. **

**[Content removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines- Please note that it is not allowed to share Airbnb investigation and private conversations]

 

[Jason1262]

My wife and I have been hosts for the last 7 years. We are super hosts with a 4.94 star rating. We have bought a second home just to Airbnb and set it up so the various rooms can be rented by different guests or someone can choose to book the whole house. We installed cameras in the common areas as a protection for guests. We don't want a guest in Room A to break the TV or something and blame it on the guest in Room B. The cameras have allow us to say with coinfince that the couch was broke during a guests stay or that they were smoking inside the property. I understand that there are bad actors, but we have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars making this property into a nice Airbnb and banning us from security cameras to prove who did damage is just wrong.

The irony of the whole situation is it was Airbnb who drove me to have cameras. In 2018-2019 we had a guest show up with 3 on the reservation but showed up with 4-5 people. I didn't say anything at first becase I didn't remember how many they had listed. After checking them in, I looked at the reservation and saw that they had definitely brought more guest than they they said on the reservation. I tried to contact the guest to add the additional guests to their reservation but they refused to respond. When I contacted Airbnb they wanted photo/video proof of the extra guests. If Airbnb wouldn't stand behind me than I had to put up cameras to prove my side of a story.

I don't think Airbnb should be pro guests or pro hosts. They should be a neutral party because there are bad guests and bad hosts. It seems that the good guests and good hosts pay the price for bad actors.

I think if airbnb wanted to do this right, they would need to almost create a system where indoor cameras go through a verification process.

A host would

1) disclose there are cameras

2) submit to airbnb photos of the cameras in their location to prove they are not hidden, and

3) submit to airbnb a photo of what the camera could see.

This would ensure that cameras are not in bedrooms, bathrooms, or sleeping areas.

Interesting thought: What would happen if a guest brings their own camera and just sets it in the Airbnb. If they take a photo of it and claim it belongs to the host could they get a free stay because "The host was filming them" even though they framed the host? Or what if a guest connects a camera to the wifi and hide it an the host doesn't even know it is there?

[Marie8425]

@Sherri176 

I totally agree   It is my personal decision to have interior cameras.  I agree that I should disclose so Guests can decide if acceptable to them.  The ban though removes my right to chose when it hasn't been a problem for my Guests ever.

I think a more appropriate and fair issue.  Airbnb add a page where the Host is required to disclose cameras.

The Host can choose.

The Guest could easily find if its a concern and make a choice.

Airbnb could easily investigate any complaints of a Host not disclosing.

Just removing a right to choose not for safety reasons but because of someone's comfort level.  Just isn't a fair decision.

[Jodie191]

Totally 💯 agree. I was just about to install 4 security cameras inside and outside because of safety concerns and unregistered guests.

 When I read there decision I put all 4 outside have it on my listing.

[Filippo489]

This rule is totally unfair. I have rent 6 rooms (with 6 listings) that I rent in my guesthouse that I manage like a small hotel. The indoor camera is at the bottom of the stairs in a shared space area and it helps managing my propriety and make me feel safe when I'm not there. This is clearly stated and there are even signs pointing at the camera, nobody ever complained about this. Now I had to remove my listings after 11 years of working with airbnb and being a superhost, but still I have to respect the reservations I already accepted after the 30th of April, cause airbnb refuse to delete them. I'm not removing my camera but if the guests complains about it I might incur in some problems. This is totally unfair, is there a petition or something we can sign to oppose this? Meanwhile I'll keep on working with booking.com which is better and a lot more professional.

[Johannes103]

I rather de list as to compromise my security and life.

They must differentiate between INDOOR PUBLIC SHARED AREAS and INDOOR CAMERAS IN PRIVATE AREAS.

[Fernando1399]

Is this specific situation for private room hosts not being addressed by Airbnb in any way? I actually can't believe they're deliberately putting private room hosts and guests in danger, leaving them and their belongings unprotected. Have they not given this any thought?

[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.

[Glenn-and-Xin0]

Airbnb does not have a right to dictate to homeowners or infringe upon their local rights and laws regarding cameras in one's business or home. They can not legally tell you to remove cameras from your home or business. They are treading into litigious potential class action territory. 
You should check your local laws regarding this issue. 
In Pennsylvania, security camera laws typically permit homeowners and businesses to employ surveillance cameras for legitimate purposes, such as reasonable suspicion or property protection. Such uses are generally not considered intrusive to individuals' privacy and are of reasonable expectation of privacy.