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Airbnb changes
FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green has the details.
Beginning next month, security cameras will be banned inside Airbnb rental properties.
"As an Airbnb host, we have security cameras indoors and outdoors and so when guests are booking, we explain to them hey this is for safety reasons," associate broker at Serhan and Airbnb host Sara Golon told FOX 5.
Before the policy change, the company allowed the use of indoor security cameras in common areas like living rooms and hallways if hosts made it clear ahead of booking.
An Airbnb logo (download app page) displayed on a smartphone is seen in LAquila, Italy, on september 9th, 2023. Some metropolises and countries are imposing restrictions on Airbnb hosts to protect the hotel industry. (Photo by Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhot …
"We respect property very much so but at the same time, how do we maintain quality of our property when guests are coming in there and if there are unfortunate damages, how does Airbnb plan on recovering those items for us? It’s a big risk," Golon said.
Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s head of Community Policy and Partnerships released a statement regarding the move saying:
"Our goal was to create new, clear rules that provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect on Airbnb. 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."
Along with the indoor camera ban, the company is expected to roll out more detailed rules on outdoor security cameras and other devices like noise decibel monitors which normally help hosts monitor security and prevent unauthorized parties.
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The duo says now they'll need to take extra steps to carefully vet clients and take more measures for maintenance checks on the property.
"For us to have someone to connect the security cameras after the guests have checked out and maintaining the quality of security being that we live full-time in the city, that’s going to be a little bit difficult for us," she added.
Airbnb says the revised policy takes effect on April 30th.
That's when they say any reported violations of the policy will be investigated, which could result in the removal of a listing or account.