I once stayed at an Airbnb that had 11 hidden cameras. Bedroom, bathroom, living room. I found them by scrolling to the TV’s upper channels. Live feeds of every room.
Now I sweep every rental and hotel. So should you. This isn’t rare.
A Scottsdale family found one in the smoke detector over their kids’ bed last year. An Ohio mom in a Hocking Hills cabin looked up in the bathroom and saw a green light blinking. Camera, aimed at the toilet and shower. Investigators found 49 adults and 13 kids on the owner’s SD card. He’s serving six to nine years. A friend found one in the fan above the bed. It got even creepier when the homeowner started harassing her after getting her home address and phone number.
Airbnb banned indoor cameras in April 2024 (hotels never had a clear rule), but nobody inspects. The whole policy depends on YOU finding the camera.
🫣 The 2-minute sweep
- TV trick. Grab the remote. Scroll past standard channels into the higher numbers. Cheap wireless cameras broadcast there. Live feed of the room you’re in? That’s a camera. (How I found mine.)
- Flashlight pass. Lights off. Open your phone flashlight. Sweep across smoke detectors, alarm clocks, USB chargers and picture frames. Camera lenses reflect a tiny pinprick of light.
- Selfie-cam IR test. Lights off. Open your camera, switch to the front. Pan slowly. Night-vision cameras emit infrared, invisible to your eye but glowing white or purple on your screen.
- Wi-Fi scan. Download Fing (iOS/Android). Connect to the room Wi-Fi, run a scan. Look for anything labeled “camera,” “IPCam” or any device you don’t recognize.
- Mirror trick. Press a fingernail to any mirror that feels off. Gap to the reflection? Normal. No gap? Two-way. Walk.
😌 Want peace of mind? Grab a $40 hidden camera detector (20% off) on Amazon. It scans for wireless signals, GPS trackers and pinhole lenses in seconds. Toss it in your bag. Use it for hotels, rentals, even rental cars.
🚨 Found one?
Don’t touch it. Don’t unplug it. Don’t yell at the host. Photograph the device, what it’s aimed at and the room. Call police first, then Airbnb or the hotel within 72 hours to stay eligible for a refund. Then leave. Florida treats hidden recording as a third-degree felony.
You need a smile after all that: Who’s the patron saint of security cameras? St. Francis of a CCTV.
📩 Send this to someone who is booking a vacation rental this summer.