Hi everyone, I am installing a wifi camera to cover the front main entrance of my house. it will be above the door under the porch, and will be very obvious. My Airbnb unit is the lower level basement suite with separate entrance at the back of the house. So technically, the camera has not much to do with the Airbnb unit, but guests will probably see the camera when they walk from parking to the back of the house. Should I disclose this camera under my listing to avoid any potential problem with Airbnb privacy rules? If I do, please help me with the wording, I want to keep it simple and short, just to inform the existence of the camera, but not scare people away. Thank you so much!
There have been several news reports about hidden cameras, so Airbnb is very strict about disclosure now. Your listing should mention any devices on your property (thereās some controversy about cameras in areas guests arenāt supposed to access, but doesnāt sound like an issue in your case). If you havenāt disclosed the presence of cameras and a guest complains, Airbnb will side with them. I would disclose your front door camera even though itās main purpose isnāt monitoring your guestsā access.
Many hosts use exterior cameras, so it isnāt a big deal - itās cameras in the living space that most people would take issue with.
In the āBooking Settingsā --> āHouse Rulesā section, youāll see āDetails guests must know about your homeā and then a section for āSurveillance or recording devices on propertyā. Mine says āExterior monitored by two cameras (front door & back yard). No cameras indoors!ā You might say something like āFront porch at Hostās door is monitored by an exterior camera. No cameras or surveillance devices inside the guest spaceā
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Hi @zywan0124,
Iām pretty sure you are required to disclose any and all cameras/recording devices. As to the wording, Air makes it easy for you. Iāve done just as @Allison_H has done and checked the āsurveillance or recording devices on propertyā box. I noted that they are exterior only, and Iāve also added that they are not continuously monitored (in case someone thinks Iām spying on them or thinks I monitor everything āreal timeā)
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Thank you Allison, I like your working, simple and clear, thank you:)
BTW, is it necessary to email or message to all the future booked guests to inform this newly installed camera? I personally think itās a bit excessive, but I am not sure if I should do it.
I wouldnāt contact them just to inform of the camera, but Iād mention it in your welcome e-mail - āWeāve recently updated our listing describing the new camera monitoring the front exterior of the house. Airbnb asks us to disclose any cameras on the property, so I just wanted to mention it since it was added after you booked.ā
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And a guest who booked before your disclaimer has been added to your narrative could insist that you take down the camera during their stay. AirBNB would back them up too.
If I guest insisted I take it down then I wouldnāt want them as a guest anyway. I wonder if Airbnb would also back me up and allow a penalty free cancellation. I would think they would since I can cancel guests Iām not comfortable hosting.
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Yes, mentioning it in the welcome e-mail gives them notice and they can respond in a number of ways - including cancelling. I suppose they could ask you take it down, which would make me think the guests were pretty precious.
"Airbnb, please cancel this reservation; āI donāt feel comfortable with these guestsā "
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I simply refuse to rent a place with cameras. I expect that the host would have to pay to relocate me. Precious? No, I am not precious. I would simply want the place to be as represented.
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I have cameras covering all four sides of the house. Itās a major boon for when guests decide to āforgetā to mention that theyāre bringing extra people. Anyway, the description says that there is external security cameras and no one has ever complained EXCEPT for the one guy who booked for four people and snuck in nine and a dogā¦then lied about it. Sang a different tune when I emailed him the stills. He made a huff in his review about being spied on.
Discrete external video is a huge, huge aid and I cannot recommend it enough.
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Yep. Iād think you were precious and likely high maintenance. Iād be happy to have you cancel at that point. Sometimes things change; broken/damaged stuff is replaced and improvements made. The best we can do as hosts is to communicate changes to our guests. If they donāt like the change they can cancel.
Would you complain that Iād changed out the rug in the living room? Itās a different color than whatās in the listing photos, but Iād hope youād prefer a new one to the wine-stained one it replaced.
What about if a pool were installed after you booked? For many (most?) that would be a welcome improvement. I could understand someone not wanting that (safety with small kids?) and they can ask to be rehomed. But asking that the camera be removed (not just turned off) is as precious to me as a guest demanding the pool be filled in.
Me too. Now that I have them I donāt know what I did without them. For me itās not primarily āspyingā or catching someone doing something. Just knowing if my guests are here or not and how much noise Iām free to make, or knowing if they came in at 2 am instead of 10 pm. Iāve had a couple of people booking including an artist driving a panel van full of her art to a show who booked me 4x (so far) in part because of the cameras. So for every guest I lose, Iām surely gaining one.
My most recent guest didnāt seem to be trying to sneak. He booked for one and the next morning I saw two leaving. I hadnāt even checked the camera footage. So I messaged him and he paid right away. He didnāt realize he hadnāt booked for two.
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Donāt think that anyone can make you take it down. Itās your property and you are free to make changes. However, there may be consequences for those changes, such as the booking being cancelled by the guest or Airbnb and you might get dinged for it (Iām not saying that you would or should), if someone really wants to be a stink about it. You certainly have the right to protect your property and a camera is a device that is an important security tool. It is outside and in no way affects the guests stay in the unit. - IMHO
AirBnBās policy covers much more that surveillance cameras, not yet a seen a listing that disclosed such things as cell phones.
you need to disclose.i do it in my listing, house rules and tick the box that my house contains a video system. been doing that for 3 years and never had an issue. i use hidden cams in living room only
Before I freak out I suppose I should ask for clarification.
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I agree. There seems to be a tendency amongst unprofessional hosts to treat all guests as some sort of bizarre thugs who need constant monitoring - otherwise they will revert to some sort of troglodyte state.
Theyāre going to break things, theyāre going to cause damage, theyāre going to create mayhemā¦
I donāt think so!
Iād much rather stay with a host who regards me as a civilised human being who is unlikely to break the wine glasses, set the place on fire or steal the television. Sad maybe but true.
I have cameras facing the doors from the outside. I can see when and how many people check in. I would not know by the cameras if they broke anything in the house. Nothing wrong with cameras outside.
RR
I agree. Iām originally from the UK and you canāt walk down a street there without being filmed on a CCTV. So Iām used to it in public. If a host said in a listing that the cameras were to prevent extra people coming in, then fine. But spying on me? No. Even though I wouldnāt want to be lumped along with people who do such things, I can understand.
However, is the phenomenon of people sneaking extra folk in a feature of lower priced accommodation? Are they trying to save money by splitting the cost?
LOL, I would not SAY its to keep you from sneaking in extra guest! I have a 3 bedroom house sleeps six and its not cheap compared to the competition but people ARE cheap, sometimes. I have in the spot where you disclose cameras " For your safety there are cameras outside every door and they are always on. There are no cameras in the house"
RR