Found HIDDEN CAMERAS in our Airbnb vacation rental - host claiming 'security purposes' is this even legal??

Question

So I'm still SHAKING typing this. Family vacation to Miami Beach last weekend, fancy 2bd condo, superhost w/perfect reviews. Day 3 my 14yo daughter noticed weird black "smoke detector" in her bedroom ceiling that looked different than others. Husband got curious, checked it out - FREAKING CAMERA INSIDE pointed right at her bed!!! We immediately tore the place apart and found 2 MORE - one in master bathroom disguised as phone charger and another in living room air freshener. Called Airbnb emergency line hysterical. They offered full refund + $150 credit (wow thanks🙄). Host showed up ANGRY saying we "violated house rules" by dismantling his "security system" and threatened to charge us for damages!!! When we mentioned calling police he backed down claiming cameras were "disclosed in listing fine print" (they absolutely were NOT). Grabbed our stuff and fled to hotel. Now host blowing up my phone demanding we return "his property" (the cameras we took as evidence). Airbnb still hasn't removed his listing!!! What legal options do we have? Can hosts seriously put cameras in BEDROOMS?? I feel violated and police seemed uninterested when we called.

igooEn · Answer

same thing happend to me in nashville but was just me and hubby... manager claimed "previous guests left them" YEAH RIGHT!!,,,,, only got full refund after threatening bad revieww dont return ANYTHING its ur evidence

Fell · Answer

Two things - one BLOCK THE HOST! dude sounds unhinged and you don't need that stress. Two did u take pics of where u found them? Doesn't matter if u have cameras but need proof of placement/disguise. Ps. This is exactly why my fam stopped using airbnb completely

rony · Answer

Not defending creepy cameras but fyi those cameras probably worth $300+ so technically u did steal his property... cops might actually care more about that than privacy violation tbh. Mayb mail them to police anonymously with report? Jst saying don't need MORE trouble

St_fff · Answer

ok sorry u went thru this traumatizing blah blah but nobody gonna talk about how a 14yr old spotted a hidden camera that adults missed for 3 days??? ur daughter = future FBI agent or what lol. she watch spy movies or something?

1997haker05 · Answer

Ex-cop here; sadly, Miami PD overwhelmed with violent crime, unlikely to pursue. Secret recording laws vary by state. FL requires ALL parties consent to be recorded so def illegal. But if they haven't arrested host already&hellip;they prob won't bother

Broked · Answer

y'all staying in randos houses with bedrooms that look identical to listing pics &amp; expecting privacy??? 🤣 this why I only do hotels now. Tired of paying cleaning fees to be someone's content farm

LiLi601 · Answer

Host demanding cameras back is SHADY AF!! Probably worried about what's on memory cards. Take to computer shop and pay them to extract footage - might find other victims. I'd set up burner email and contact previous guests from reviews tbh

iehh · Answer

this gon get buried but - u in FL so if bedroom/bathroom cameras upload anywhere = felony voyeurism (FS 810.145). airbnb wont help but if u call state attorney general office they got special task force for this exact crime. they might actually care unlike local cops

forte · Answer

Every single airbnb listing has the Reasonable Expectation of Privacy clause in TOS which EXPLICITLY prohibits recording in bathrooms/bedrooms/changing areas no matter what host "discloses" in listing. slam dunk lawsuit if u got good documentation

daddycoolest · Answer

$150 "sorry we let a predator film your child" credit 😂😂😂 what a joke!! irbnb prob be like "here's $15 off your next stay where someone might also film your kids!" seriously tho this app is dead to me after reading this thread

HELIX · Answer

My cousing Airbnb host in Tampa. He has rules that explains exact camera locations (doorbell/driveway only) WITH PICTURES in house manual. That's how legitimate hosts handle security. This dude a straight up predator hiding cameras IN BATHROOM?!?! the audacity smh

VVictor · Answer

maybe... return the cameras but KEEP THE SD CARDS? Like u can make ur point without committing theft which honestly weakens ur case. Or buy identical cameras on amazon and swap them out lolol. Send him back shells with no guts 🧠

Lumia 820 · Answer

This happened to friends in cancun xcept hotel not airbnb... hotel manager denied everything till they threatened to call american embassy then magically found "disgruntled employee" to blame lmaoooo. Same playbook everywhere - deny deny deny admit when cornered blame someone else protect company at all cost. Good luck op ur fighting corporate machine