Yes — a small share of Airbnbs have had hidden cameras, but the large majority do not. Depending on the survey, between 5% and 11% of guests say they've found a hidden camera in a short-term rental — roughly 1 in 20 to 1 in 9. Unsettling, but it also means the clear majority of stays have none at all.
So the honest answer to "do Airbnbs have hidden cameras?" is: most don't, a minority do, and the only way to know about your rental is to check. Here's the real picture — how common they are, why they show up, what Airbnb's rules say, and how to check in about a minute.
How many Airbnbs have hidden cameras? The numbers
Across the major surveys, somewhere between 1 in 20 and 1 in 9 guests say they've found a hidden camera in a short-term rental — and about 1 in 12 owners admit to hiding one. No single perfect number exists, because this is self-reported and under-detected by nature. But the studies point the same direction:
| Study | Year | Key finding |
|---|---|---|
| IPX1031 traveler survey | 2019 | 11% of travelers had found a hidden camera in an Airbnb (~1 in 9) |
| Vivint rental study | 2024 | 1 in 12 owners (8%) admit to hiding a camera; 1 in 20 guests (5%) report finding one |
| IPX1031 rental surveillance study | 2025 | 47% of renters have found a camera of some kind in a rental; 1 in 5 found one in a bedroom, bathroom or common area |
Two things explain the spread. First, "a camera" and "a hidden camera" aren't the same — the 2025 figure includes disclosed doorbells and outdoor cameras, which are legal and increasingly standard. Second, cheap hardware moved the baseline: miniature WiFi cameras now sell for under $20, so the barrier for a bad-actor host keeps falling.
The post-ban reality is the uncomfortable part: Airbnb outlawed indoor cameras in April 2024, yet in the 2025 IPX1031 study more than half of camera-owning hosts admitted they still run them indoors, and 58% of travelers say they worry about hidden cameras — while 64% don't know how to check for one. The gap between the two numbers is exactly why a 60-second sweep is worth learning: 75% of guests now check on arrival, up sharply year over year.
Put together: the risk is real but not the norm. Think of it the way you think about a hotel door lock — most of the time it's fine, but you still check, because the check is free and the downside of being wrong is serious.
Why would an Airbnb host hide a camera?
Most hosts who use cameras aren't voyeurs — they're worried about property damage, unauthorized parties, or extra guests. That's the charitable explanation, and often the true one. But it doesn't make an undisclosed indoor camera acceptable, and a small number of cases are exactly what they look like.
The problem is that from a guest's side, you can't tell the host's motive from the device. A lens pointed at the bed is a lens pointed at the bed. That's why the rule is simple: any undisclosed camera inside a rental is a violation, full stop.
Does Airbnb allow cameras?
Not indoors. Since April 30, 2024, Airbnb prohibits all indoor security cameras in listings — anywhere inside the unit, disclosed or not. The earlier rules, which allowed disclosed cameras in common areas like a living room, no longer apply.
Outdoor cameras (a doorbell camera, for example) are still allowed, but the host must disclose them and their location before you book, and they can't monitor indoor or enclosed private spaces.
So in 2026, any camera you find inside an Airbnb is a policy violation — grounds for a refund, a rebooking at Airbnb's expense, and removal of the host from the platform.
Is it legal for an Airbnb to have hidden cameras?
Airbnb's policy and the law are two separate things, and it helps to keep them apart.
The platform rule is the stricter and simpler of the two: no indoor cameras at all, anywhere in the unit, since April 2024. Breaking it costs the host their listing.
The law varies by jurisdiction but converges on one point everywhere: recording someone where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy — bedrooms, bathrooms, changing areas — is a criminal offence. In the United States that falls under state video-voyeurism statutes, and most states criminalise the recording itself rather than merely the sharing of it. Across the UK and EU, surveillance law and GDPR reach the same conclusion by a different route: covert recording of guests inside a rental has no lawful basis.
The murkier ground is shared or common space — a living room in a listing where the host also lives, or a shared entrance hallway. Some jurisdictions permit a properly disclosed camera there. Airbnb's own rule does not, so on the platform the question is settled regardless of what local law would allow.
The practical takeaway: a camera in a bedroom or bathroom is illegal essentially everywhere and is a police matter, not a customer-service matter. Anywhere else indoors, it is at minimum a policy violation Airbnb will act on.
Where guests actually find them
When cameras do turn up, they're almost always disguised as an everyday object with a clear view of the bed or the seating area. The repeat offenders are smoke detectors, bedside alarm clocks, air purifiers, USB chargers, tissue boxes, and picture frames.
For the full, frequency-ranked list — and the tell-tale signs for each object — see our main guide on how to detect hidden cameras: 10 ways that actually work. Worried specifically about a mirror? That's a different check: how to tell if a mirror is two-way.
How worried should you actually be?
Calibrated, not anxious. The base rate is low, and a quick sweep on arrival closes most of the gap. You don't need to tear the room apart or travel with specialist gear — a phone and two minutes covers the realistic threats.
The one thing not to do is nothing. The cost of a check is a couple of minutes; the cost of skipping it, in the rare bad case, is your privacy.
How to spot a risky listing before you book
The arrival sweep is your safety net. The cheaper move is not booking the listing at all — and the listing page usually tells you more than people realise.
Search the reviews for the word itself. Run "camera", "privacy", "watched", "doorbell" and "security" through the review text. Guests who found something almost always mention it, often mildly — "there's a camera in the hallway, just so you know". A single flagged mention is worth taking at face value.
Read what the host discloses. Airbnb requires outdoor cameras to be declared before booking, so a listing that openly names an exterior camera is following the rules — that is a good sign, not a bad one. The listing to be wary of is the one with a heavy "security" narrative in the description and no declared devices at all.
Look at the photos for objects that don't fit. A brand-new smoke detector in a room of dated fittings, an air purifier in a small studio, a clock radio in an otherwise minimalist bedroom — none of these prove anything, but they tell you where to point your flashlight first.
Weigh the host's history. A long review record with no privacy complaints is real evidence. A brand-new listing with no reviews is not evidence of anything bad — it just means you have nothing to go on, so the arrival sweep carries more weight.
Ask directly, in writing, before you book. One message does it: "Are there any cameras or recording devices at the property, indoors or outdoors?" Most hosts answer plainly. An evasive answer — or none — is your cue to book elsewhere, and either way the exchange stays on the platform's record if you need it later.
How to check your Airbnb in 60 seconds
Do this in the first five minutes, before you unpack:
- Lights-off flashlight sweep. A lens reflects a bright glint when your phone light hits it — the single most reliable check against any camera.
- WiFi scan. List the devices on the network and look for camera brands or unknown hardware.
- Bluetooth scan. Surfaces BLE cameras and stray trackers like AirTags.
- Magnetic check. Your phone's compass sensor spikes near concealed electronics.
Each step takes about fifteen seconds. The full walkthrough, with the exact things to look for, is in our 10-method detection guide.
Bluewex runs all four scans in one tap. Download free →
What to do if you find one
Stay calm, then: document it with photo and video, don't disturb the device, step outside, and report it to Airbnb support directly — not the host. If it was intentionally hidden to surveil you, file a police report; hidden surveillance in private spaces is illegal in most US states and EU countries. A refund is the floor, not the resolution.
Frequently asked questions
Do Airbnbs have hidden cameras?
A minority have. Surveys put it between 5% and 11% of guests who've found a hidden camera in a rental — roughly 1 in 20 to 1 in 9 — but the large majority of stays have none. Because you can't know in advance, a 60-second sweep on arrival is the sensible move.
How many Airbnbs have hidden cameras?
About 1 in 12 rental owners (8%) admitted to hiding a camera in a 2024 Vivint study, while guest surveys report finding one in 5-11% of cases. The true number is likely higher, since most hidden cameras are never discovered.
Does Airbnb allow indoor cameras?
No. Since April 30, 2024, Airbnb bans all indoor security cameras, disclosed or not. Outdoor cameras are allowed only if disclosed before booking and not pointed at private spaces. Any camera inside the unit is a policy violation.
Where are hidden cameras most often found in Airbnbs?
In objects with a clear view of the bed or seating area: smoke detectors, bedside alarm clocks, air purifiers, USB chargers, tissue boxes, and picture frames. Two-way mirrors are far rarer but are the worst case.
How do I check my Airbnb for hidden cameras?
Run a flashlight lens-glint sweep in the dark, a WiFi network scan, a Bluetooth scan, and a magnetic check — all within the first five minutes, before unpacking. An app like Bluewex combines all four into one scan.
What should I do if I find a hidden camera in an Airbnb?
Document it, leave it in place, step outside, and report it to Airbnb support directly. File a police report if it was intentionally hidden. Don't settle for a refund alone if the host placed it knowingly.
Is it legal for an Airbnb to have hidden cameras?
No, not in private areas. Recording guests in a bedroom, bathroom or changing area is a criminal offence in essentially every jurisdiction — US state video-voyeurism statutes, and UK and EU surveillance law and GDPR, all land in the same place. Disclosed cameras in shared common areas are legal in some places, but Airbnb's own rules ban all indoor cameras regardless.
Do Airbnb hosts have to tell you about cameras?
Yes, for the outdoor cameras that are still permitted: the host must disclose the device and its location on the listing before you book. Indoor cameras cannot be disclosed into legitimacy — they have been banned outright since April 30, 2024.
How can I tell if an Airbnb has cameras before booking?
Search the reviews for "camera", "privacy" and "security", read the host's declared devices on the listing, scan the photos for objects that look newer than the room around them, and message the host to ask directly whether there are any recording devices. A clear written answer before booking is worth more than any amount of guessing.
The bottom line
Do Airbnbs have hidden cameras? A few do; most don't. The risk is real enough to check for and small enough not to lose sleep over. Spend the two minutes on arrival, and you've handled it.
If you want help with the sweep, that's exactly what Bluewex does — free on iOS and Android.
Travel safe.
Related guides: How to Detect Hidden Cameras: 10 Ways · How to Check a Hotel Room for Hidden Cameras · Full Airbnb Safety Scan