New security camera policy is unreasonable

[Conrad76]

I presume all hosts received an email from Airbnb about security cameras, in which it says, "You’re not allowed to have cameras that monitor indoor spaces." That is completely unfair. The basic Abode security system that I have has a motion sensor with a camera that takes a snapshot if the sensor is triggered when the alarm is on, to get a picture of who or what is moving in the hallway. I disclose this in my listing, and I have a small curtain that guests can pull to cover the camera if they are concerned about privacy. Airbnb is essentially forcing me to get a different security system. How are other hosts dealing with this?

[Priscilla150]

First they remove our ability to see who is wanting to book with us.  All I get is an initial, sometimes two initials.  I have no way of telling if it is a male or female.   There are no longer any picture(s) prior to their booking.

Why are we as the hosts not allowed to have any idea who wants to book without either asking potential guests for more information to find out their name, sex or anything else we feel might be important for our safety?

It is only after they have booked,  we finally get to see their picture and know their name without asking.  

NOW they want to remove our security cameras in our Common Areas?

What happened to Host rights and the basic idea of protecting us Hosts?

[Douglas538]

Sounds a bit like the early stages of communism here.  All people need to push back on this or they will walk all over the property owners.  They can easily trash your place and you will be on the hook for the damages.  This will make this type of activity commonplace.

[Conrad76]

Attention Hosts:

I asked my support "case" to be escalated, and their response was:

"...I can acknowledge how this change on the policy can affect Hosts. From our end on support, for us to escalate this information to a higher level, we do it through the feedback provided by our members, just as you did with the community, and us reporting it here every time we receive a message or call from a Guest or Host."

Therefore, please do contact Airbnb Support (there are various ways to do it, see airbnb.com/help then the Contact Us button) and complain about this unreasonable policy change.

[Suzzan0]

Im gonna remove my listing April 30th from Airbnb listing bc I rent a private bedroom with its own private bathroom and private entrance. they informed me that I can't have cameras in the rest of my house even if there's no common areas.

I'm single and live alone so they can go to hell.

Im going to rent to traveling nurses instead. funny thing is I never had cameras until several guests broke my rule of not bringing anyone on my property that's not part of their party

i caught them sneaking out in the morning and one person had his huge truck parked in my carport that wasn't a guest. I of course told him he has to leave. 

[Suzzan0]

I have no cameras in their room or bathroom

[Douglas538]

I second the "they can go to hell" statement.  This is one of the reasons I have surveillance where it is needed.  No invasion of privacy, just monitoring the general activity as you described.  Internally I have a camera above the kitchen sink to monitor who is dumping grease and other garbage down the sink until it is plugged and I am stuck with the bill.  Outside, the system acts as a deterrent to unregistered guests being allowed in and also watches for crime activity in the immediate area.  I am not about to rip out my expensive system. 

So once again.....THEY CAN GO TO HELL.  🙂

[Joseph119]

This is another slap in our face compliments of Airbnb. Was not enough that they made us accept service dogs and free of fee even if listed we do not accept pets, now they came up with this new crap. So I have no right to protect myself from intruders or wackos or is it OK for guests to snoop around my house and get into everything because you have no way of proving it? We only had 1 cam for the main entrance, not in a bathroom, hallway or guest room. We can all imagine what kind of situations we can get ourselves in without any protection. I had people steal from me that I had to escort out with the police, people snooping in my garage & office. I mean who is protecting us hosts? That is one question I asked a rep not long ago. We are the ones that open our homes to total strangers and take the risk, since we cannot even see who is booking before the reservation is complete. Shaking my head. I wonder what is the next "brilliant"idea they come up with. Everything to appease the guests. When are they going to do something in our favor for once?

[Douglas538]

You nailed it Joseph.  I am in 100% agreeance with everything you stated here.  The AirBnB DICTATOR machine is running rampant lately.  The underpinnings of COMMUNISM is percolating at the core.  Or is this MARXISM?  Take your pick.

[Douglas538]

I totally concur with you Conrad.  In my opinion, this is an authoritarian action, force and dictate how folks run their own properties.  I am brand new to this service and have recently purchased a fixer upper revenue property.  I installed cameras outside to monitor who is going in and out as we have had all types of break-ins in the neighborhood to date.  In addition to that, I installed cameras in the kitchens to monitor who is plugging the sinks with hot grease or other objects.  And that's the extent of it.  No surveillance on the bedrooms or bathrooms whatsoever.

And the stories keep piling up about guests trashing places across the world.  The only method in which to try to curtail these actions is to install a surveillance system and it doesn't need to be invasive on anyone's privacy.

LUDICROUS PLUS...right up there with ASININE.

[Marilyn50]

most of the wording is double negatives and not clear on  the email I received.  When did support people outsourced to foreign  countries?  Horrible

[Don5618]

We already blocked all our rooms beyond April 30, 2024. Leaving the rooms open with this issue hanging  over our heads and B&B potentially applying some penalty (with-holding payment?) in addition to de-listing us is too great of risk in our opinion.  

[Dan17325]

I agree completely. We have a small suite on the lower level of our home, 3 security cameras; 2 outside and 1 inside the rear door that surveils the foyer/mudroom.  No cameras exist inside the guest suite. 

I often work out of town leaving my wife at home to take care of things (she works from home). The foyer camera is absolutely necessary to discern who is entering/exiting the house and when. It in no way infringes on our guest's privacy and provides a first line of defence in case someone decides to break into our part of the home. 

I appreciate that Airbnb screens guests, but we've still had the occasional issue with unregistered people entering/exiting our home.

Our cameras are listed on our profile, if guests feel that the security cameras infringe on their privacy they are free to book elsewhere. Demanding that hosts remove reasonably located security cameras is unfair and unsafe. 

I'll be contacting Airbnb to express my dismay at this policy change, while exploring other platforms. 

[Carsten124]

Any use of security cameras that adhere to the local laws should be considered an asset for Airbnb, the guests and us hosts. The use of security cameras have to be mentioned to the guests and it is up to them if they want to come/stay.

I fail to understand how banning and/or publishing the location of our security equipment to the world (freely accessible via the Airbnb website) is supposed to be an improvement?

[Suzzan0]

I already contacted them today saying I will just remove common areas and rent the room only but they still said I have to remove all cameras in the rest of the house. I am gonna try traveling nurses

[Steve2584]

No need to do that. They are allowing cams in shared areas of places renting rooms.