Hidden Cameras in Vacation Rentals

Hidden costs are just one concern for vacation renters. A private stay owner may be keeping an eye on its occupants through hidden cameras.

Over half of Americans who plan to rent a vacation property are worried about hidden cameras. Many will conduct a search upon arrival for such concealed devices.

While rental properties offer many benefits, privacy and security remain hot topics, especially when it comes to cameras. In fact, 58% of Americans are worried about hidden cameras in vacation rental properties. More than 1 in 3 (34%) search a vacation property looking for cameras and 1 in 4 have found one! Among those who found a camera, 20% found it outside and 5% found it inside the property, and some have found it in a common area. After finding the camera, 1 in 10 respondents covered or unplugged it for the remainder of their stay.

Are cameras in rental properties legal?

In a word, yes. It’s legal, but where a surveillance camera can be installed is the important question to answer.

Cameras are used by landlords to protect their property, from outside security cameras that a good number of Americans have installed outside their own homes with a security system, to inside the property in a common area. Common areas often include driveways, front doors and back yards, and garages – basically, places where people come and go. This makes sense for security’s sake to potentially prevent break-ins and burglaries.

But not here!

Once a renter steps inside a property, however, they should be able to expect privacy. Putting a hidden camera in a changing room, bathroom, bedroom, or even a laundry room is a definite no-no. Yes, there are apartment security camera laws that must be abided by.

And it isn’t just cameras that can invade privacy, audio recordings are actually even more strict than video laws. If a landlord films tenants with audio, the aforementioned can expect to be dealing with legal trouble.

Many state laws in the US are such that any device used to photograph or to listen in on private property without permission is breaking the law. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Utah. A hidden camera in these states is a felony that could bring not only a fine but up to 2 years of imprisonment.

Moral of the story? Much like the saying, caveat emptor – let the buyer beware – in the case of private vacation properties, let the renter beware.