In recent years, shocking stories have emerged about unsuspecting guests being spied on by their Airbnb owners.
Last year, 22-year-old Katelyn Boss discovered a hidden camera in a light fixture in a Miami rental property — and her story went viral.
And the problem seems to be becoming more and more common. An analysis of AirBnB apartments found that one in 132 apartments has hidden cameras.
spoke to two privacy experts about how to tell if there might be a hidden camera in your next Airbnb.
This includes using apps to search for Wi-Fi connected devices and using your phone's infrared detector to find hidden devices.
This is the so-called spy camera that can be seen in the TikTok video
Shine a flashlight to find reflections from camera lenses
Turning off all lights and using a flashlight can help find the telltale reflections from camera lenses, said Chris Hauk, consumer privacy advocate at Pixel Privacy.
Hauk said that as long as the room is dark, you can also look for green or red LED lights – another telltale sign of a hidden camera.
Could a flashlight help you locate cameras in your Airbnb?
Hauk told : “One option is to turn off all the lights in the room and use a flashlight to scan the area, looking for reflections from camera lenses.”
Camera lenses would appear as blue flashes in the dark, Hauk said.
Use apps to discover hidden devices
Apps like Fing can help find devices lurking on the Wi-Fi network (Fing/Apple)
Several dedicated apps like Fing can help detect Wi-Fi-connected cameras, said Brian Higgins, security specialist at Comparitech.
Apps like Fing scan the Wi-Fi network and display details of all connected devices – which can be a good first step to finding hidden cameras.
(It should be noted, however, that cameras with a cable connection or cameras that record to an internal chip will not be found.)
Higgins said: “If you want to get technical, you can download a Wi-Fi sniffer to see if someone else is extracting data from your location.”
“Look out for strange Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth signals (try using your phone to connect to nearby devices): these could be signs of recording devices.”
Look for two-way mirrors
Chris Hauk, consumer protection advocate at Pixel Privacy
A classic place to hide cameras is behind mirrors – and two-way mirrors are also worth looking for, Hauk said.
Hauk said, “Look behind hanging mirrors for cameras.”
“If a mirror is mounted on the wall, turn off the light, hold a flashlight up to the mirror, and scan its surface.” If you only see the reflection of your flashlight, it's probably a traditional one-way mirror.
“However, if you can see into an area behind the mirror, it is likely a two-way mirror, which can allow hidden cameras to record the area.”
Use your phone's camera to detect infrared sensors
Cameras tend to use infrared light to capture images in darker rooms – and although you can't see infrared light, your phone's camera probably does.
Depending on your camera model, it can be either the front-facing or rear-facing camera that can detect infrared.
Hauk said: “To see if it has this feature, open the camera app and point a remote at it (like the one that controls the TV, which is probably found in the Airbnb rental) and press then some buttons on the remote.”
“If you see a flash of purple or white light, the camera can detect infrared.” You should then turn off all the lights in the room and use the camera app to scan the room for similar flashes that could be from a hidden camera.
Check potted plants and smoke detectors
Potted plants are a classic hiding place for hidden cameras
Small household items like potted plants and smoke detectors are classic places where hidden cameras lurk, warned Brian Higgins, security specialist at Comparitech.
In August 2022, a Texas couple said they found hidden camera lenses in smoke detectors at a property they used.
Higgins says, “Also, check nanny cam candidates such as stuffed animals, smoke detectors and house plants for hidden cameras.”
Wear webcam covers for PCs and TVs
Higgins said that devices like televisions sometimes (completely innocently) have built-in cameras to enable video calls.
A webcam cover can ensure that these devices are not used for nefarious purposes.
Higgins said: “If you're a regular AirBnb customer, it's probably good to have a supply of webcam covers and stick them on anything obvious like laptops, TVs, etc.”
We found a hidden camera in our Airbnb – here's how
Kennedy found a camera in her Airbnb with the help of her friends
A Canadian woman was terrified when she and her friends discovered a hidden camera pointed at the shower at the Airbnb where they were staying.
Kennedy Calwell, 26, from Canada, was staying in an Airbnb on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast when she and her friends found a suspicious device.
Kennedy claimed the tiny recording device was pointed toward the shower and toilet to spy on her and her friends
She said on TikTok: “We just found out we were being watched at our Airbnb,” she said at the start of the clip, which racked up over 7.1 million views.
She said a friend scanned the apartment after seeing videos on TikTok about the hidden camera threat.
Kennedy said: “She pulled out her flashlight and started searching. She looked in every single shower head, every picture frame, doorknob, everywhere in the house for a camera and she found one,” Kennedy said.
The 26-year-old gave the exact location of the camera.
She said the camera was: “In the bathroom, one of the outlets was right across from the shower.” Okay, first of all, that outlet didn't work, you couldn't plug anything into it. At the top you can see that nothing is wrong, it looks completely normal, and at the bottom you can see the little camera.
Kennedy reported the incident to the police, who found the cameras and took them away for analysis.
She said: “The owners claim the cameras were not put there by them. “I don't know anything about them. But it could also have been a previous guest.'
An Airbnb spokesperson said: “We prohibit hidden cameras and are investigating these allegations. “The guest who booked this reservation has received a full refund.”