Maybe this is why I didn't get any email regarding a change to indoor cameras. I live in the same house where my private room listings are. I don't have a "whole house" listing, so no expectation of complete privacy outside their private room or shared bathroom exists. The platform recently stated it's desire for "room" type listings. I would never put cams near bedrooms or bathrooms. I work from home, with dogs, and have 1 indoor camera, disclosed in the listing details, in the shared kitchen that I must use for taking dogs outside. The cam allows me to ensure the kitch is unoccupied when doing this and keeps guests safe and able to enjoy undisturbed food prep. Guests must acknowledge the presence of dogs (having no direct contact with any) before booking. Disallowing this safety and guest comfort/enjoyment feature is just wrong. Guests would definitely prefer me knowing they are in the kitchen, than suddenly having 2 or 3 dogs appear at their feet or grabbing their food. My respectful camera WILL NOT show anything that myself or up to 2 other guests might see at any moment when not in our private rooms. This needs to be adjusted and clarified in the policy wording. With "whole house" listings, an expectation of having NOBODY OTHER THAN THOSE YOU BOOKED WITH be able to see that you're cooking rice and beans on the stove, is appropriate. If as many as 3 people that are essentially strangers to you could knowingly walk in to the kitchen as you cook is possible, then a respectable, safety ensuring camera that can show the home owner and full time resident the same, should not be banned. They claim the change is to "simplify" the concern....simplify for who? If a guest books, and it's been stated that a camera is present and it's location given, where is the problem? If they don't want to be seen cooking/etc, then they certainly shouldn't book a room in a place where 2 other persons and the owner could walk right in that shared room as they cook. This is no different than the camera seeing the same. When Airbnb gets a complaint/action made because the family dog of the owner that lives on site stole their food, are they going to ban owning dogs or not allow us to use doors in rooms that a guest might be in? If a pot cooking on the stove catches fire, do I accuse/remove ALL current guests when nobody admits fault, resulting in angry customers who in turn take action against the platform, since I wasnt allowed a camera to see the actual person at fault? I'm a responsible, respectable adult, with humility and integrity, smart enough to know just how potentially dangerous & damaging, not having a safety camera in this setting can be. How will you decide to "simplify" the huge number of host and guest complaints/claims/legal actions/etc that would have been avoided with simple, disclosed, appropriate video? Is your solution simply to remove the very type of listings that you began this platform with and claim to still desire? All that needs to be stated is... "Indoor cameras, in non-private areas, & where someone other than the booked guest and their listed companions, also have access to & that serve a clear safety/comfort purpose, are allowed." Therefore any indoor camera in a booked entire structure is excluded, any camera in any private area (ie:bedroom, bathroom) of any listing (house or room) is excluded with the wording I said above. A camera showing only a kitchen dining table or one showing only a living room, in a home share setting would not be appropriate. C'mon people, be decent, respectful adults. And Airbnb, don't blanket label ALL listings into unfair mandates, that result in zero good for all involved. If a host gets removed for a reported but disclosed, appropriately placed camera, the host is damaged financially and emotionally and this platform loses a good host that provides an obvious need for the community. This policy wording needs to address the huge difference in privacy expectations in home share settings, especially when multiple listings are at a single structure. If your goal is to lose hosts and business, the new wording is perfect. If you want to keep us (hosts and guests needing what we offer) then adjust the words.
