How to Quickly Detect a Hidden Camera in an Airbnb Rental Space

In recent years, there have been several unbelievable stories about how Airbnb (temporary rental website) users found surveillance cameras in rented houses and apartments. They can be used to control guest behavior, or have more sinister intentions. In any case, equipment like this in the environment makes many people obviously uncomfortable. No matter how disturbing these stories are, remember that they are the exception rather than the rule. Most people offering accommodation respect your privacy and space.

If you still worry that someone is watching you in a rented apartment or hotel room, follow these recommendations. O awesome.club presents several techniques to help ensure that facilities are not being illegally surveilled by cameras.

In general, hidden cameras are installed in the bedroom or bathroom. It’s not a rule, but still, these rooms should be checked first.

Start with the simplest: think about where you would place a camera. The old rule “to catch a criminal you have to think like a criminal” works very well in this case. Inspect the room and select the places where you can see the best. First, pay attention to the upper corners of the room, walls and objects in the vicinity of the bathroom or bed.

A 22-year-old female traveler was in Switzerland with her friend. The girls discovered a cell phone under the bathroom sink in a room rented through Airbnb.

For example, smoke detectors are a useful detail in a home, and in some countries they are even mandatory. But now there are cameras widely available that look like these sensors. But they are just similar in appearance. On closer inspection, the device will have a camera lens (while the sensors don’t have anything that looks like a lens) and a memory card or slot to put one in.

“My colleague found it strange that in the premises rented through Airbnb there was a motion detector in the room, and that’s what happened: he ended up discovering that it was a IP camera connected to the internet (he left there at 3am, communicated with customer service and received a refund)”.

Any other fixture in the bedroom or bathroom that looks suspicious deserves special attention. Pay attention to holes or strange lenses, or chargers where there shouldn’t be.
Such things must be alarming: why should an alarm clock, even a modern one, be connected to the internet?

In any case, if you see a suspicious device, check the brand and serial number and Google it. Most of these cameras are purchased at regular stores and you’ll quickly find out what it is.

A couple who were in Toronto on vacation and used Airbnb services discovered a hidden camera in their bedside alarm clock. She was focused directly on the bed.

Dougie Hamilton, one of the travelers, said he realized something wasn’t right after 20 minutes. He mentioned that he experienced horrible discomfort. When he turned off the electrical appliance and removed the alarm clock’s front panel, he discovered that there was a hidden camera inside.

Airbnb’s customer service reacted quickly, eliminated the homeowner from their platform, and officially released a statement about the intolerance policy for such cases.

The main feature of cameras is, of course, the lens. It can be hidden in small objects: even doorknobs, lamps, houseplants and picture frames. There are even miniature cameras that look like screws. Take a look at the small details. For example, even in a plush toy it is possible to put a small camera instead of an eye.

Not sure if you can find the device? Stick gum in all the suspicious holes and solve the problem.

In addition to suspicious corners and/or holes (for example, in furniture), carefully inspect the shelves: it’s easy to hide cameras in them. Look in drawers, bedside tables and cabinets.
Sometimes devices are in unexpected places, but a cursory inspection will suffice.

“We found a hidden camera aimed at the bed, in a room rented for the New Year on Airbnb.”

Using just a smartphone, you can detect hidden cameras. Of course, this does not guarantee a 100% efficient result, but the filming devices in Airbnb houses and apartments were not installed by professionals.

First, you can search for the camera lens flash. To do this, turn off the lights and close the blinds so that the room is as dark as possible. Then move around with the flashlight on, watching the effect carefully. If you see reflections, you’ve probably found a hidden lens.

There are several apps that can help you find hidden cameras. For example, Hidden Camera Detector on the AppStore and its analogue on Google Play.

You can also use apps like Fing or iNet to detect cameras connected to a Wi-Fi network. They provide data on all devices connected to the network, including cameras. This will help in cases where it is difficult to find the equipment on your own.

A couple who traveled to Taiwan discovered recording devices in fire detectors. Zhang Zheng, one of the guests, found it strange to see a red light on the smoke detectors
and decided to check them out. He discovered that inside there were cameras installed that recorded the room.
and the bathroom.

Many cameras designed to record in the dark are equipped with infrared radiation. Your phone will help you find it, as follows:

Turn on your phone’s front camera. Check your smartphone’s capability for infrared rays. To do this, take the TV remote and point it at the camera by pressing any button. On the front, a light bulb will flash and you will see it through the camera. Turn off the ambient light, close the curtains: get rid of all light sources. Move slowly. If you see a flash, it’s probably infrared light. This may not just mean a hidden camera, but it is generally a good method of detecting it.

Many cameras work with Wi-Fi. If you want to detect and disable them, you can use a script created by Julian Oliver. Once you connect to the Wi-Fi of a rental accommodation, it will detect and disable devices with a wireless internet connection.

If that seems too complicated, you can just turn off Wi-Fi indoors so the cameras lose their internet connection. That’s what Jeffrey P. Bigham did when he found one of them in the living room of a rented house.

If you are seriously concerned about the security issue, you can buy a thermal imaging camera to look for hidden devices or a frequency detector.

“Look at this photo of a house I found on Airbnb where I recently stayed in Seattle. Did you find the camera?

Airbnb guest Jeffrey P. Bigham immediately found two cameras in his rental property. “I was surprised and then disconnected them from the network,” Bigham wrote on his blog.

After reviewing the rental conditions one more time, he noticed that cameras were mentioned but described as devices at the entrance. In fact, one of them was in the corner of the living room. Also, this one was visible in the photos of the apartment, but its small size made it difficult to understand what it was. In the rental conditions, it was mentioned that there were cameras outside, but no internal surveillance was mentioned.

To their disappointment, when they contacted Airbnb to complain, the company said that a photo showing the device in the room was enough of a warning to tenants.

Only after the story was widely publicized did the representatives recognize that they were wrong and that the equipment’s presence contradicted their policies, so they returned their money.

If you find a camera-like device, search the Internet for it. It is even possible to take a photo to find a similar device by searching for images. Call the police. Law enforcement officials will record that there was indeed a camera installed. Important: Do not turn off the device before the police arrive, so that the police can make sure it is connected to the network. If you’ve rented an apartment through a service like Airbnb, contact customer service. As a rule, victims are compensated for the cost of rent, and the owner of the premises is removed from the base. Write a statement under the “Privacy Violation” article. If the damage occurred because of the presence of hidden cameras, you have the right to claim damages. If the recording was not published anywhere, the likelihood of demonstrating damage is much lower. However, even in that case, you have the right to seek compensation for moral damages.

Don’t forget about the obvious cameras, like the one built into the television or a webcam on a laptop or PC, if the home owner has these devices at your disposal. Simply cover the equipment with a bandage or duct tape to make sure no one is looking at you. Even Mark Zuckerberg uses these protection methods, so they should be taken into account.

Do you have any method that provides security for surveillance cameras during your travels?