I think the night lights in my space are being confused for cameras lol

[David3610]

Guests keep moving, unplugging, or covering the 2 plug-in night lights in our space and initially I was stumped. These things have little photo-cell sensors that only turn the lights on at night. At first, I thought maybe people just needed more outlets to plug in their phones and things. But people move them so often. after reading several articles about hosts putting cameras in their rentals, I got to thinking that guests might be suspecting our little night lights of being something that they're definitely not. They're not in the bedrooms, just in the common areas. They aren't really near tables/furniture either where you might expect someone would plug stuff in. I don't know what to do because I don't want to just remove them because they are really helpful (at least I think they would be) to navigate new surroundings in the middle of the night. But I most certainly don't want people even thinking that anything fishy is going on

[Kath9]

Hi @David3610, I think these are a great idea for guests getting up in the night! Very strange that people keep moving them. Anyway, I would just include it in your check in spiel if you have one - just tell people what they are!

[Robin4]

@David3610 @ Kath

You are probably right David, guests are confusing them with cameras,

I make a point of stressing to guests I have a battery operated light either side of the bed so the guest has access to some light in the remote situation where there might be a power failure and the bathroom light is connected to a motion sensor. As soon as the guest walks through the door the light automatically comes on, they don't have to fumble for it and it turns off after 5 minutes to give them some light time till they get back into bed. This works well and all guests feel comfortable that they are not being spied on.

Cheers......Rob

[Marion263]

We have the same idea. the motion detector looks towards the door. Alowing time to find the light switch in a strange room. A plug in unit if the power fails the main light comes on. Also if required remove it  from it,s holder it becomes a torch/flashlight. As someone that has worked away from home a lot. I think they are the business. Only once did someone unplug it, reason unkown.

Cheers James and Marion.

[Susan151]

@David3610  It turns out that there are a lot of people out there who can't sleep if there is any light at all! Who knew? I don't provide blackout curtains and always thought night lights would help folks find their way around. But as you say, they are often unplugged.

I have actually removed the night lights that plug in in the bedrooms, but that leaves the "outlet" nightlights on the landing and in the bathroom. Since they are hard-wired, there is no way to remove them completely. Well, I could, but I won't. 

[Ann72]

Susan

Busted.  I travel with an eye mask and ear plugs!

PS:  I can't work out how to do the @ thing when a name doesn't appear in dropdown...

[Lisa723]

@David3610 why not ask a guest who did it?

[David3610]

Thanks. the simplest solution may be the best in this case. I just don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable in any way. It's just unfortunate that photocells kinda look like ccd's. More unfortunate still that weirdos out there are hiding cameras in their rentals.

[Susan151]

@David3610 . These are the lights my daughter bought after the baby was born to light the hallway between the two bedrooms. She had two extras, so they were "gifted" to me. My mother loves that I have one in the room she uses so that she can find the bathroom in the middle of the light. I don't think it looks like a camera.

https://www.amazon.com/Hallway-Kitchen-Bathroom-Bedroom-Daylight/dp/B01DLLTDLG/ref=zg_bs_3736651_1?_...

[Cynthia475]

I actually used to travel with night lights because I find them to be extremely helpful in a new space.  As a host, I leave them in the bathroom drawer for anyone who would like to use them.  You might want to leave them in a drawer and alert guests where they are in your check in document.  

[Susan1404]

@David3610I put in the kind that have an on/off switch on them.  As far as I can tell, they are never used.  If they are, guests are sure good about remembering to turn them off.

[David3610]

These are the kind of things I wonder if I should mention at all but at the risk of making my check in process cumbersome. The original reason I put them there was so that guests wouldn't have to think about it and would have a lit path to the bathroom bedrooms and exit. I can't see why anyone would remove them for the reason susan mentions because they are not in the bedrooms. I've noticed as a host that most guests don't really tend to"figure out" much of anything in their own. For instance, I'll turn on the porch light for guests I know will be arriving after dark and 9 times out of 10, they leave that sucker on for their entire stay. so it always feels likel a balancing act of giving the cliff notes without information overload. Maybe I should just use nightlight that are constantly on so there isn't a suspect sensor. 

[Ann72]

@David3610 I have those night lights, too, but since they burn out more quickly than the ones with the on/off switch, I leave them unplugged near where they might need to be plugged in.  One in each bathroom, one in each hallway (on a windowsill), one in each bedroom, and one in the kitchen.

I would just note their availability in the house manual, not in your check-in instructions, and let guests use them or not.  Don't forget, also, that most people have flashlights on their phones that they're used to using.

[Susan1404]

@David3610  I had to chuckle when you mentioned the porch lights because I have dealt with the exact same thing.  I'm thinking about investing in some motion sensor lights so that the porch lights don't stay on indefinitely.

[Suzanne302]

@Susan1404 @David3610 

I had to laugh, too, about the porch light! I find myself waking up in the middle of the night to turn off lights I've left on for the guest. Every. **bleep**. Time!

I feel it's more the guest doesn't think they are in "control" of the house so they're hesitant to turn off lights in common areas thinking I might want them on. But I do wish they'd turn them off! Oh well.