Airbnb banning indoor cameras

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — At their 30 Airbnb rentals, some of BNB My Place’s properties come with outdoor cameras. Andres Yepiz Moreno is one of the partners and said it helps home owners watch out for what’s going on at their home while the house is vacant.

“We want the neighborhood to be a good fit and we don’t want to interrupt anyone’s stay as well as cause damage to this home,” Yepiz Moreno said.

He said they don’t use indoor cameras because it’s not something they found useful for their business model.

Airbnb says they are implementing a ban on indoor cameras because they want to prioritize renters’ privacy.

“It also builds trust between you, the host, the guest, the AirBnB platform overall. It just sets that precedent where you know what that policy is,” Yepiz Moreno said.

Airbnb says originally they only allowed indoor security cameras in common areas like hallways and living rooms as long as owners told renters before booking and renters could see the cameras.

AirBNB says hosts are also going to have to let their guests know where their outdoor cameras are at. The new rules are going to take effect on April 30.

Yepiz Moreno said the new policy could hurt some vulnerable hosts because hosts are letting in random strangers into their home.

“It’s not 100 percent secure that someone is going to come in and be a good guest,” he said.

However, he said overall he likes the new policy because it’s direct and gives hosts clearer direction on how they can use cameras.

“Especially with a platform like Airbnb where it’s this big and it’s only getting bigger,” he said.