Camera in Airbnb

[Blueberrycake12]

So we are just back from a 2 night stay in a gorgeous airbnb. We stayed in a house with a family and had a family room with a fridge and kettle but no cooking facilities. It felt a little awkward everytime we used the kitchen as we had to knock on the kitchen door to use it. I felt like a burden. Anyhow, on the second day, the owner went away and said we can use the kitchen but her kids will be around. Fine. Last night I noticed a camera in the kitchen and it made me feel so uneasy. I feel like why bother putting your place on airbnb if you're unwilling to trust your guests? Left such a bad taste on my mouth. Could have stayed another night but decided not to. The host was very nice.

Need to write a review now. Do I bother putting that in?

Am I being unreasonable here?

You still haven't answered of you booked "room only". With no cooking facilities.

If they kindly allowed you to use their home kitchen then you have no right to complain

I just assume everyone will have cameras these days. My job involves going in and out of people's homes and I always assume I'm being filmed.

I wouldn’t like it unless told about it before hand.

I would put the fact that they have a camera in the review.

What did the listing say about access to the kitchen?

@Blueberrycake12 I don't use Air B n B so I don't know ifit's normal, but that would make me uncomfortable too. They should've told you.

Plenty of other people are bothered! We've all got used to it in public, but inside a holiday property is intrusive.

It's interesting how nearly all of EU privacy regulations originate from the Eastern European member Countries and they push data protection and privacy Directives within the Comission. CCTV is less prevalent outside western Europe. These societies know and have experienced the consequences of continued monitoring and watching even 'when you've got nothing to hide so why be concerned about cctv' situations. I wouldn't be in a house where the owner had a camera in any room as a paying guest, visitor or friend.

It depends whether the kitchen was part of the Air BnB listing or not - OP hasn't clarified.

But they said op could use the kitchen. At that stage they should say that there is a camera there.

It's their private property, they don't need to say anything if they don't want to.

I wouldn't share a home, we always get an entire property, so I would be unimpressed by cameras we weren't told about. In their own home I'm ambivalent about cameras being there but would expect to be told and it's fair to complain / add to review. Certainly nobody should be strolling around in nightwear in shared property though - that was wild OP, please don't do that again. Really unfair on those young adults; you wouldn't do it in a hotel's public spaces so definitely don't do it in their own home!

The 'kindness' is because they are being paid and being kind doesn't mean the person has to be comfortable with being filmed without their consent. A 'kind' act doesn't permit you to behave badly.

But it is different when you have paying guests. It's not then a 'private property' it's a commercial venture providing a service and with that comes certain obligations.

They're renting it on Airbnb, it's a commercial arrangement.

Pj's are nightwear.

Out of respect maybe? I would tell someone they were being filmed.

OP hasn't said whether the kitchen was included in the Air BnB though, that's why people are asking her to clarify.

If the kitchen is included, then yes, they're being unreasonable, but if they were just being kind and letting her use the kitchen, then they can have a camera there without having to tell anyone about it.

PJs are worn on the school run....

I think that they would need to have a sign somewhere saying you are on cctv.

That's a moral thing though - legally they can have a camera in their own kitchen and don't need to tell you (assuming you're not paying for use of the kitchen, which you still haven't clarified).

Lots of people have cameras in their homes for all kinds of reasons.

Room only means you are renting the room

If they have offered the kitchen extra (kindly) and that's not been paid for then to write that on a review is shitty behaviour

They should declare it, they're taking her money to stay, it's a commercial arrangement.

Not on their private property, unless OP is paying for use of the kitchen.

Yes, quite, so why were you running round someone's home in them?

Kindly? The family room wasn't cheap and the lady said I could access the kitchen to cook for my kids. I just didnt expect a camera to be following me around. It just felt horrible when I saw it. I felt like I was being spied on and it felt wrong.

You should have booked somewhere with cooking facilities.