After numerous cases of guests being secretly or even not-so-secretly filmed in Airbnbs, the short-term rental platform is putting an end to what some hosts have justified as a security measure, and will ban all indoor cameras. The ban takes effect next month.
Previously, the platform allowed cameras in corridors and living rooms, but not in bedrooms or bathrooms, provided they were clearly displayed and mentioned in the rental description, but there were many reported violations.
A statement from Airbnb says that “Our goal was to create new, clear rules that provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect on Airbnb. These changes were made in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community.”
Still allowed are outdoor devices that monitor entryways, including doorbell cameras. As well, hosts will still be able to use indoor decibel monitors that record noise levels but not actual sounds. That’s considered a way to monitor security and issues such as unauthorized parties.
