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. 

[Donald28]

well that is completely DIFFERENT isn't it? If I'm a host that doesn't mention I have cameras in my listing and a guests lies and complains to airbnb that I do... that's different than me saying HEY I HAVE CAMERAS in my listing. Then the everyone knows about it. 

Apples and oranges. 

[Huma0]

@Sarah977 

Surely you remember my ‘condom girl’ thread? You know, the one where, after a number of disagreements, the guest left me a nice little ‘gift’ on check out?

[Debra300]

@Sarah977, 

The one I will share is pretty lightweight.  I once caught a guest washing his sneakers in the shared guest kitchen sink.  The rest of them have to do with toilets in one way or another.

[Sarah977]

@Debra300  Not a guest, per se, but a girl I rented the little cabin next to me to, which I look after for the owner. I had just purchased a brand new fridge for the place and when I wandered over one day to collect rent, I saw that the crisper drawer was out in the yard with water in it. She proudly told me that it made a great dog water bowl  because she had to refill it so seldom. 

[Debra300]

@Sarah977,

GAG!

[Sarah977]

@Huma0  Yes, the Condom Girl post, and Inna's drunken housecleaner post were classics. There should be a "Best Of" host stories section on the forum. 

[Huma0]

@Sarah977 

Here is condom girl post again: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Condom-Girl-AKA-My-Weirdest-Guest/td-p/1223607

please could someone link Inna’s cleaner post? Would love to read that again!

[Emilia42]

@Huma0 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/My-cleaning-person-passed-out-drunk-on-the-floor-of-the-...

So, so funny!

[Huma0]

Thanks @Emilia42 . Don't know how I missed this one. It's genius!

[Ann72]

@Huma0  Thank you - I was just about to ask for that.  What a story!  And how sane you are to refrain from killing her before you got her out!

[Huma0]

@Ann72 

LOL, when how sane are you? I almost kissed my cleaner when she came today (after reading your story). Poor woman didn't know what had got into me. I was so happy to see her!

[Ash3391]

Thanks everyone for the reply. There is a difference between having grown adults treating the pool as a toilet where they empty full bladders after a drunken night directly in the pool, and children accidentally peeing. Pools, especially home pools that are only 10000 gallons in size are not meant to be treated that way. While urine is sterile, it does react with chlorine and can create harmful chemicals, and if guests start using pools to routinely relieve themselves like a toilet, it will quickly become dangerous to swim in it. 

[Sarah977]

@Ash3391  I don't think anyone here would disagree that it was boorish, immature behavior. I just don't think it's something worth calling him out on publicly or charging him for. If you had seen 4 guys all standing around the pool peeing in it, night after night, of course that would constitute "routinely relieving themselves as if it was a toilet". But that wasn't the case- it was one drunk guy, once.

And it could backfire- cameras are supposed to be for security purposes, and if you mentioned seeing him doing this on camera, the guests could report you for spying on them, telling Airbnb you must be watching guests going about their private lives constantly. That's what was meant by getting you involved with the "Trust and Safety" department. 

When Airbnb gets a report of undisclosed cameras, or cameras being used inappropriately, they will instantly suspend your listing, pending an "investigation". They do the same with bedbug reports. Guests can make a complaint about bugs or cameras without providing proof and you are guilty until proven innocent.

[Anonymous]

@Ash3391   I think  @Sarah977 has an important point here. To call out the guest for what you saw on the camera will require admitting that you were basically spying on them while using the pool (and presumably in some state of undress). Despite the fact that the cameras are fully disclosed, most people would find it quite creepy to think that the host is sitting there watching this footage and not just recording for security purposes. 

If they were to complain irately enough, your Airbnb career would be over. This would basically be an own-goal for you; is a pint of pee the hill you want to die on?

[Ash3391]

@Sarah977  @Anonymous @I am following the exact policies that AirBNB has posted about security cameras as noted in my original post. We have outdoors security cameras that are noted on the home listing, house rules, and we have clear signs noting that there are outdoor recordings. These outdoor cameras arm themselves after midnight until 6am and they record on motion. I have every right to protect my property from illegal behavior or misuse of property and as remote property managers this is extremely helpful. Nothing is "creepy" about it. I think you need to review AirBNB policies first before making those assumptions.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/887/what-are-airbnbs-rules-about-security-cameras-and-other-recording-devices-in-listings

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.