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A male individual who discovered what seemed to be a camera recording his Airbnb lodging has labeled it as a “major violation of personal space”.
Ian Timbrell, age 41, discovered a camera hidden in the crevice between two couch cushions in the apartment where he had reserved a room.
He shared his experience on Twitter/X by posting a photo of himself pointing at the camera. The caption read: “Is this normal or strange? The Airbnb I’m staying at has a webcam monitoring the entire living room.”
“Is it incorrect for me to have disconnected it? It appears to be a significant violation of one’s privacy, in my opinion!”
Mr Timbrell, who lives in Cardiff and provides LGBT+ inclusion training in schools, was staying in the Welsh seaside town of Aberystwyth for work when the incident occurred.
He had spent approximately £40 for a room in a private residence, where one other guest was also lodging.
Furthermore, the problems did not stop there. He proceeded to post a video of the premises, specifically pointing out how the kitchen was plagued with flies.
“After discovering the unsettling webcam in my Airbnb, it has now become overrun with flies.”
“There are such a vast number of them scattered on the floor within this house; it is revolting.”
He stated, “Therefore, at 8 PM, I will need to locate alternative lodging in an unfamiliar town.”
Mr Timbrell posted one further video, saying he’d managed to find alternative accommodation: “Finally, found a place with no hidden cameras and no flies! Time for a nice glass of wine and pretend that that creepy place, that was like the beginning of a horror film, never existed.”
He stated that he had informed Airbnb about the occurrence.
“I have learned my lesson and will now only stay in hotels,” he remarked.
According to The Independent, Airbnb stated that the device’s presence and location were disclosed in the listing description prior to booking. However, they acknowledged that the guest had a negative experience. Despite not contacting Airbnb, the company has proactively contacted the guest to provide assistance and the host has given them a full refund. Airbnb has strict policies regarding recording devices and will take action if any rare issues are brought to their attention.
The home sharing platform prohibits the use of hidden recording devices and explicitly states that hosts are not allowed to have cameras in private areas such as bedrooms, bathrooms, or sleeping quarters.
It is acceptable to have cameras in shared areas as long as property owners are transparent with guests and inform them beforehand.
The website independent.co.uk is the source.
The source for this information is the website independent.co.uk.
