Imagine that you’re on vacation with your family and you’ve rented a nice Airbnb for the weekend…

You’ve just settled into the living room recliner at the end of a long day to watch some TV…. ahhhhh doesn’t that feel nice?

Then you notice something, but oh no, it couldn’t me… YES, it is! A security camera hidden on top of the entertainment center spying on your every move. Invading your new found haven.

How would you feel about this gross invasion of your privacy?

As can be expected, you would likely feel uncomfortable, angry, and would perhaps want to leave immediately. Believe it or not, these situations do occur. Read this one about a family in Ireland who felt their trusted space violated.

Sidenote: One of our guests once complained about us having a video camera in the property without disclosing it. We were so confused and responded, “Ummmm, we don’t. Can you send us a picture of what you are talking about?” Yep, a baby monitor left by the previous guest! Kind of funny.

On the flipside, what about protecting a host’s property? What rights do we have as hosts to monitor our property? It can be difficult as a host to trust complete strangers to take good care of your property; and understandably so.

With this in mind, how can hosts keep their properties secure and at the same time avoiding infringing on their guests’ privacy?

To address this issue, Airbnb has outlined several policies designed to protect the privacy of guests while still allowing hosts to feel secure about their investment. Essentially, the name of the game is disclosure, disclosure, DISCLOSURE! If you have a recording device on the property, you are required to make the guest aware of it. Additionally, devices that are positioned to observe the interiors of bedrooms and bathrooms are prohibited for obvious reasons, regardless of disclosure.

An easy and relatively affordable option that many hosts opt to utilize to protect their properties is video doorbells. The presence of a video doorbell must still be disclosed to guests, but they provide many benefits while still protecting guests’ privacy.

Here is an in-depth comparison of several popular video doorbells and a guide that will enable you to determine which one might be the best fit for your property. https://www.safehome.org/doorbell-cameras/best/

Benefits:
Ability to ensure that the proper amount of guest are inhabiting the property without infringing on privacy
Ability to view if the registered guests match their profile picture.
Ability to easily monitor the exterior of the property on the go from a smart-phone
Recorded video
2 way audio
Real time mobile alerts
Deter thieves and vandals
Provides peace of mind to the guest, knowing that the exterior of the property is being monitored.

Nobody wants to be spied on! So please ensure that you disclose any recording equipment present in your Airbnb, even the door bells! Additionally, take action to ensure that your investment is secured in a legal manner.

Happy Airbnb-ing!