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[00:00:00] Sarah: Hello, welcome back for another great week. My name is Sarah Karakaian.

[00:00:02] Annette: I am Annette Grant. And together we’re–

[00:00:04] Both Annette & Sarah: Thanks for Visiting.

[00:00:05] Sarah: And this is the–

[00:00:06] Both Annette & Sarah: Hosting Hotline.

[00:00:07] Sarah: Today we have a question about cameras.

[00:00:11] Questions: Hi, ladies. Us hosts are seeing so much out there right now about cameras and Airbnb. I have one on my front porch. Is this still okay? Can you guys cut through all the noise and tell us exactly what we need to know about the cameras? Can we have them? Should we have them? Thanks for all you do. Appreciate it.

[00:00:29] Sarah: There is a lot of chatter right now about cameras because Airbnb just released an update to their security device policy.

[00:00:39] Annette: And it takes effect today, April 30th, 2024.

[00:00:43] Sarah: Now, no matter what side you stand on their updates, their policy, if you get a booking from Airbnb, you are beholden to their policies. So it’s best just to know what they are, to be compliant. And I don’t know about you, but I’m also not going to change the setup of my home, whether it’s a Vrbo guest, or an Airbnb guest, or direct book guest, Google guest.

[00:01:08] So I think today we can answer Russell’s question and talk about cameras and other security devices like decibel monitoring systems and how we can use them in a way that protects our home and protects our guests without violating their privacy.

[00:01:23] Annette: Exactly. Russell wanted us to cut through the noise. I’m going to cut through the noise and just read verbatim because I think it’s important. “Hosts are not, N-O-T, allowed, not allowed to have security cameras and recording devices that monitor any part of the listings interior, such as the listings hallway, bedroom, bathroom, living room, or guest house, even if they are turned off or disconnected.” I think that’s very important. Even if they’re turned off or disconnected. “Hidden security cameras are strictly prohibited. These prohibitions–” I said that wrong, right?

[00:01:58] Sarah: No, you did.

[00:01:59] Annette: Oh, it’s right? Okay. “These prohibitions also apply to the common areas and shared spaces of the private room listing, for example, a living room.” Okay. know that a lot of people are like, of course they’re not allowed. I can share with you I’ve known hosts who did have them over the front door as guests were coming in. It was literally at the front door. They had giant welcome areas, and I always thought that was a little like, mm, no, no, no, no.

[00:02:23] Sarah: Yeah. If it’s inside, do not do it.

[00:02:25] Annette: They were paralleling it to the lobby of a hotel. It was the lobby of their giant home. And I was like, no, that’s inside. So nothing inside. I think a key point that even if you have turned off or disconnected– because, let’s say, you do have cameras, if you have children, nanny cams, things like that that you have around, it doesn’t matter. They got to be gone.

[00:02:44] Sarah: Let’s keep going here. “Hosts are allowed to have exterior security cameras and recording devices as long as they do not monitor areas where users have a greater expectation of privacy, such as inside of an enclosed outdoor shower or in a sauna. You must disclose location of all your exterior security cameras. I have a camera in my front yard. I have a camera over my patio. I have a camera over my pool, or I have a doorbell camera monitoring my front door and the hallway of my apartment building.”

[00:03:11] But here’s where you also need to reach out to your insurance company, because I know that our insurance company had issues with our exterior security cameras, and I had to send a recording of what our security cameras were recording. They wanted to know.

[00:03:25] So even though Airbnb is allowing it, you also need to get an extra layer deeper and make sure that your insurance company knows exactly where they are and exactly what they’re recording. Also, you have to disclose where they’re at, but I’ve also learned this from Airbnb.

[00:03:37] You have to disclose on your external security cameras, it’s hard to say, that they are recording 24/7 and that you have access to the recordings at all times. I know that sounds obvious, but you still should include that in your disclosures on all your listings. Also, if you have a website, I would also include this in your terms and conditions page.

[00:04:00] Annette: Ooh, yeah, that’s a good double up.

[00:04:02] Sarah: Just an extra layer, like a backup for our backup. 

[00:04:05] Annette: I have a question really quick, though. As we were just rereading through these, how do they feel about over hot tubs? That’s not mentioned here. And sometimes I feel like people get in hot tubs with–

[00:04:16] Sarah: Well, it’s also super subjective.

[00:04:18] Annette: Right, because a pool could be a spool, which is a spa hot tub pool.

[00:04:22] Sarah: Well, I would say, on airbnb.com or reading from their website, greater expectation of privacy, but that is subjective.

[00:04:30] Annette: Right.

[00:04:31] Sarah: But it does have an example of, “Host must disclose a location of exterior security cameras. Example, I have a camera over my pool.” So I think in that case, it’s fine as long as you disclose it. Disclose that it’s recording at all times and that you have access to the recording at all times, and making sure your insurance company’s okay with have that.

[00:04:52] Annette: As you can imagine, Sarah and I are talking about short-term rentals all the time.

[00:04:56] Sarah: Ad nauseum.

[00:04:57] Annette: With anybody who comes in contact with us. And it’s normally not the good stuff. Especially if they’re not hosts, they want to know all the ins and outs and all the dirt. And I get the camera question a lot, and the way that I combat it, it’s before this went into effect, but a lot of people would ask about these cameras and bedrooms. Besides that one person that I knew that had a giant house and something in the main area with the front door, I’ve never heard of an interior camera.

[00:05:20] But I always like to let everybody know, when we’re talking about these exterior cameras, look around at a hotel when you check in next time. You are on camera everywhere. And I don’t mind it. In the elevator, in the hallways, in the lobby, in all of the common areas, in the parking garages, in the valet area.

[00:05:40] That is under constant surveillance, and the only way that makes me feel is safer. I know that that is for safety of the guest and safety of the property. And we just want to remind you, we did just record a YouTube video all about this, so check that out too because we dig in a little deeper there about hosts becoming obsessive about checking their exterior cameras and guests checking in. Again, this is just to protect your property and protect the guest staying on your property. These are not spying devices, if you will.

[00:06:15] Sarah: Right. The exterior cameras, I think that’s what I want to double down on, is your ring doorbell is not meant for you to, at check in time, hop on your phone and watch your guest check in. If you put yourself in your guest shoes, you don’t want to be monitored.

[00:06:28] This is where the next level of this episode comes into play, where you have noise decibel monitors. We use NoiseAware, and we can link it in the show notes. If you don’t know what a noise decibel monitor is, they are privacy safe noise monitors where you can set the threshold of noise within the home.

[00:06:46] It can also monitor how many smart devices are being added to your Wi-Fi, and so in that case, when noise monitors go off and guests are not quieting down, or you all of a sudden have 30 people on your Wi-Fi, and you’re like, wait a minute. It’s a two-bedroom home. What is going on? That is when you check your exterior cameras, get a better idea of what’s going on before you reach out to the guest. You know what I mean? It shouldn’t be a pastime to be watching your Ring app.

[00:07:12] Annette: No, no, not at all. And then I love what you just said about the noise monitors. Let’s chat about those just briefly. The noise decibel monitors are allowed, and again, you just have to disclose the presence of them, but they are not allowed in bedrooms and bathrooms, or sleeping areas. Okay. So that’s a key thing to note there also.

[00:07:34] Sarah: Then they also say in the next sentence, “Hosts are not required to disclose where their noise decibel monitors are located.”

[00:07:39] Annette: That doesn’t make sense.

[00:07:40] Sarah: And they are privacy safe, but whatever. Let’s just listen to Airbnb. Just put them in your dining. I like to put them in the middle of the home. That’s where most people are going to gather anyway. And so I set that threshold there. If it exceeds a threshold in the gathering space, do you know what I mean? That’s when there’s a problem.

[00:07:55] So I would put it in your dining room, in your living area. They also have exterior ones now, which is really helpful for us when we were monitoring a downtown home that had a hot tub and the neighbors would get upset because people would be outside enjoying the hot tub. I know I put myself up against the impossible. But we did put a noise monitor back there, and that helped us like, hey, it’s getting way too loud back there.

[00:08:15] I realize you’re having fun, and it’s all innocent, but we do have neighbors. After 9 o’clock, you’ve got to quiet down. That’s where these noise monitors are awesome. And they don’t record what you’re saying. They just record the decibel level in the home. But this is new where they’re not allowed in the bedrooms, bathrooms, or sleeping areas. And while you don’t have to disclose that, which makes no sense to me, just don’t put them there.

[00:08:36] Annette: So as we wrap this episode up, when you go under your listing, you can edit your listing. There’s guest safety, and then there’s safety devices, and that’s where you can click on security cameras or audio recording devices, and that’s where you can go in and edit and make sure that you are compliant. Let’s go.

[00:08:54] I think all of these are obviously positive things because when Airbnb is like, put this out there for the world, they know like, hey, this is not allowed. People have been waiting for this. Guests have been waiting for this for a long time. So you’re on the up and up. You don’t have these in your bedrooms and bathrooms, so you’re going to be good to go.

[00:09:10] Sarah: Add it to your inspector’s checklist, just to do a good look around the home at all times, and be aware of anything new that’s been added. Because there has been the stories where they believe–

[00:09:20] Annette: Ooh, like past guests?

[00:09:22] Sarah: Yeah. I think it’s very– I mean, I know it is. It’s incredibly rare, but it’s just great whether you’re the inspector, your cleaner is the inspector, or you have an inspector, to let them know like, hey, if you notice anything different on the ceiling, in the walls, behind some books– just be very aware of your home. This is another great reason why I think having less decor in tchotchkes is also a good thing. You can just stay more on top of what’s going on inside of your property.

[00:09:47] Annette: Yeah. Because us living in Columbus, and I always refer to this story, the newscaster, Erin, what’s her last name? She’s a very famous ESPN newscaster, but there was a camera in her room here at a hotel in Columbus, so it was a really big story for a really long time that she had gotten spied on.

[00:10:04] Sarah: Oh, that’s terrible. And it’s like, did a staff member do it?

[00:10:07] Annette: He got caught. I’m going to have to look that one up.

[00:10:10] Sarah: We’ll update that one. But anyway, I don’t think that’s happening all over the place, but it’s just very good to be aware of what’s in your property and that your team understands that too. With that, I am Sarah Karakaian.

[00:10:20] Annette: I am Annette Grant. And together we’re–

[00:10:21] Both Annette & Sarah: Thanks for Visiting.

[00:10:22] Sarah: Talk to you next time.