I’m writing this to warn others and hopefully get the attention of someone at Airbnb who can take accountability.
During a recent stay at a listing in Barcelona, Spain (**), my wife and I discovered multiple undisclosed surveillance cameras inside the apartment, including near the sleeping area and bathroom. These were not disclosed in the listing, which stated there were no cameras, and when we confronted the host, we were told we could not cover or unplug them.
We left early due to this serious privacy violation. The apartment was also dirty on arrival, had mold in the coffee maker, cockroaches, missing amenities, and no heat in most of the space. Despite leaving early and reporting the issue immediately, we were later charged an additional $1,100—on top of the $2,000+ already paid.
We’ve provided:
Photos of the interior cameras
Screenshots of the listing
Messages from the host
All correspondence with support
Case ID: **
Reservation ID: **
Airbnb has since closed our case, saying the refund is up to the host, completely ignoring the privacy violations and Airbnb’s own policy on surveillance devices. We are now pursuing:
A GDPR complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD)
A criminal complaint under Spanish Penal Code Article 197
We’ve had dozens of good Airbnb stays, but this has been a terrifying and disappointing experience—and the lack of support or escalation is unacceptable.
Posting this in the hope that others are warned and that Airbnb begins to take violations like this seriously.
**[Sensitive information removed in line with - Community Center Guidelines]**
