Please tell me about this device.

[Andrea4011]

Hello there

I am staying as a guest and identified this device over my room door.  there are none over the other doors.  There was also a random electric razor plugged in all day and left in the hall by my room (I unplugged it in the picture).  I know someone else who is a bit of an it whiz and had  a similar looking razor for audio recording.

[Alexandra316]

@Andrea4011 Really hard to tell from the photos. Have you asked the host, or can you get a better, more up-close look at it? If you're uncomfortable, is there any way that you can cut your stay short and move elsewhere?

If you know that it's a camera or listening device, you need to report it to Airbnb, but I would be very careful about making any accusations if you're not sure because the host will most likely be de-listed (as they should be if they're spying on guests in private spaces).

[Andrea4011]

Thank you @Alexandra316. The device is pretty much at the ceiling aright above my door.  I can try once more when the hosts aren't home.  I am going to look for other options in the meantime.

[Alexandra316]

@Andrea4011 Could it be a smoke detector? It looks like an Atom smoke detector to me.

http://firstalert.ca/product/p1000a-atom-smoke-alarm-with-photoelectric-sensor-micro-design/

The mounting location would also make sense.

[Julie660]

It does look like this device in my opinion

[Rosemarie9]

I have a smoke detector just like that one, in one of my listings.

[Sarah977]

@Andrea4011  I was going to say the same as Alexandra-look like a smoke detector, but not sure. When you say it's just above your door, you mean your bedroom door, or the house door? It's hard to tell from the photos. 

If it's a camera at the front door, it would be for monitoring if there are more people entering the unit than those that were booked, not to spy on you, but any cameras do have to be disclosed in the listing. 

And cameras in bedrooms are not allowed at all, only in common spaces.

But do make sure you find out exactly what it is before you do anything drastic like report it because Airbnb will shut down the listing before even doing an investigation, and it may take weeks of the host providing proof that it's not a camera for the listing to be re-instated. In other words, you could wreck this host's business for something that's simply a safety feature, like a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. 

[Andrea4011]

You all are quick and amazing, just as I had hoped!! It does look like the smoke detector.

Thanks for your help!

[Andrea4011]

I would have never thought the device was a smoke detector.  The ones in the States tend to be pretty massive comparatively.