Security camera caught male guest peeing in pool

[Ash3391]

I have external house security camera which we declared on our house rules and we have signs noting that there is recording. Our cameras normally auto arm after midnight. It caught one of the male guests going up to the pool, unzipping and peeing straight into the pool. 

Not sure what to do about it. It will certainly cost more cleaning fees as I have to shock the pool and leave it unused for at least two days.

Any suggestions on how to handle this? Approach the guest, or airbnb?

I am always afraid to alert the guest about our concerns because we manage this property remotely and don't want any retaliatory action. 

[Colleen253]

"If my AirBNB listing will be over because I followed their policy, I will be glad it is and just move on to another website that values their hosts, or convert this into a long term rental".

Be prepared to make good on that statement every single day you host on Airbnb @Ash3391 

[Ash3391]

I am new to AirBnB, and this is a small project for me in the grand scheme of things. I would like to get more insight into why you think so? Does AirBNB have a record of contradicting their own policies?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

@Ash3391  The reason I gave this advice is that over the years I've heard so many stories from hosts over the years whose Airbnb trade was devastated by complaints related to video surveillance. As others have pointed out, some of these had fully disclosed the positions of the cameras in their listings, and some had actually not used cameras at all. It's just that after some very bad press over impropriety (hosts putting hidden cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms, etc) Airbnb is hypersensitive on this issue and would sooner throw a host under the bus than conduct a thorough investigation. I am in no way defending the guest's behavior or Airbnb's inconsistency with its own policies; I'm just trying to warn you about the risks in real-world terms.

And just to reiterate, no matter how justified you would be in depicting the incident explicitly in the review, I know from countless others' experiences that there are some things that reliably get reviews deleted - mentions of sex, drugs, and bodily functions are at the top of the list. So if it's important to you that future hosts benefit from your experience, you'll want to choose your wording carefully.

[Sarah977]

@Ash3391  The reason we are warning you, is that it doesn't matter if you have fully disclosed all the cameras per Airbnb policy- if a guest files a complaint about cameras, instead of simply checking your listing info to see that yes, indeed, you have fully disclosed the cameras, or even contacting you first, Airbnb will simply suspend your listing, only notifying you after the fact. It will then take them no telling how long to "investigate" and re-instate you. And with the tortoise speed of Airbnb lately in responding to any issue, including ones that are truly urgent, you could find yourself shut down, with all your pending bookings cancelled or you unable to communicate with already booked guests.

(BTW, it's a good idea to make a note, off of the Airbnb site, of all booked guests' phone numbers, so you have a way to contact them should Airbnb ever suspend your listing or even if they have one of their numerous glitches which makes getting to your guest information impossible)

It's of course totally up to you if you want to take this risk over what you saw on the camera, but it's important that you're aware of the reality re how Airbnb will respond if they get a complaint. 

[Cormac0]

@Ash3391 

On a practical note, commercial swimming pools put a chemical in the water that turns blue if anybody urinates in the pool, who knows they might have phoned you under these circumstances...

In the Gym I'm a member of, there an unwritten rule that you do not join  an elderly gentle in the Jacuzzi if he has a smirk on his face, mind you the water is tested every hour for contaminants, thank God.

[Fred13]

I am with those that caution about making a big deal about it, though no doubt it is boorish behavior of course; but that is what drunkenness usually brings - personally I am no fan of drunks.  Definitely with Ann on cameras, good idea with some hosting, but the less I know what my guests do, the better.

(Disclaimer: The 'pool' in my listing is the Caribbean Sea, why I don't mind if they pee in it.)