Airbnb is banning indoor security cameras

Airbnb will no longer allow hosts to use indoor security cameras, regardless of where they’re placed or what they’re used for. In an update on Monday, Airbnb says the change to “prioritize the privacy” of renters goes into effect on April 30th.

The vacation rental app previously let hosts install security cameras in “common areas” of listings, including hallways, living rooms, and front doors. Airbnb required hosts to disclose the presence of security cameras in their listings and make them clearly visible, and it prohibited hosts from using cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms.

Airbnb’s new policy also introduces new rules for outdoor security cameras, and will now require hosts to disclose their use and locations before guests book a listing. Hosts can’t use outdoor cams to keep tabs on indoor spaces, either, nor can they use them in “certain outdoor areas where there’s a great expectation of privacy,” such as an outdoor shower or sauna.

Additionally, listings will have to disclose noise decibel monitors, which hosts might use to measure whether there’s a party going on in their rental — something that Airbnb banned in 2022. “These changes were made in consultation with our guests, hosts, and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community,” Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s head of community policy and partnership, says in a statement.

Airbnb hosts will have until the end of April to remove the security cameras from inside their listings. If a guest reports the presence of an indoor camera after that, Airbnb says it will investigate and that it could remove the host’s listing or account as a result. The new policy still can’t control the presence of hidden cameras, but it will at least offer some peace of mind knowing that rule-abiding hosts can no longer put cameras anywhere in their rentals.