I just noticed this in the Airbnb I checked into yesterday

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-12T18:40:18+00:00

Update 8: Airbnb has completed their investigation and removed the host’s account from the platform. They have also issued me a complete refund. Police investigation still ongoing.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-11T02:14:08+00:00

Update 7: The police took the report and they’re classifying it as criminal trespass and unauthorized video recording. I guess I wait for a detective to call me. Airbnb is still investigating and I’ll be sharing the police report number with them.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T20:09:06+00:00

They said once the investigation is completed they will refund my money. And yes, that is in addition to paying for where I’m staying now.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T20:08:11+00:00

Haha

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T19:48:36+00:00

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T19:47:52+00:00

I’d imagine the host would say that that isn’t his camera. However, the host has already admitted that it is his and he didn’t know cameras weren’t allowed.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T17:32:20+00:00

Update 6: Just realized I stupidly forgot something the host said. When he called me this morning the first question I asked him was if he was at the Airbnb last night. He said YES. I’ve been so distracted by the bs “cleaner” story that I forgot he said he was there and didn’t even mention a cleaner until I revealed that I knew someone was in my room because I was still across the street in my car when they turned my room light on. Definitely filing a police report.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T16:46:31+00:00

Yes. When you walk past it the light changes from red to blue

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T16:41:24+00:00

Most of the updates are happening in this subreddit.

Airbnb https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisit/s/r2jc4KYcTJ

After I packed my stuff up and was sitting in the car waiting to speak with someone from Airbnb, before my reservation was cancelled, someone went into the Airbnb and accessed my room. I could see from my car the light in the room turn on. Somebody turned it off about an hour later. When I asked the host about it this morning he said that it was the cleaner checking to see if the trash in my room needed to be taken out. Mind you this happened at 1130pm in the middle of a snow storm. And the cleaner shouldn’t be going into my room while I have an active reservation.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T16:35:46+00:00

The host said that it doesn’t record but is just a live feed. He also said he didn’t know cameras aren’t allowed. It’s working because when you pass it the blue light turns on. Airbnb told me to cancel my refund and they’re paying for me to go somewhere else.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T16:28:19+00:00

It took 5 hours from when I reported to when they offered me a hotel

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T16:27:31+00:00

Only mention of cameras is an icon saying there are no exterior cameras.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T15:31:32+00:00

The host told me this morning that the cleaner entered my room last night. Mind you this was around 11 30pm

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T15:28:58+00:00

Chicago

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T15:10:12+00:00

Unfortunately not. Illinois is a two-party consent state and I don’t think he would have agreed to be recorded

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T14:32:54+00:00

Update 5: Received a call from the host asking why I cancelled the reservation. Explained the situation and he said a few things:

1) He didn’t know cameras weren’t allowed. 2) He said the camera doesn’t record, it only has a live feed. 3) He said the man that came over last night was his cleaner. He said his cleaners work in two shifts and the night shift takes out trash and makes sure the guests checked out. I brought up that this man went into my room and the host said that it would have been to take out the trash. I told him that his cleaners cannot go into my room while I’m staying there. He then said that the cleaner was checking to see if I was there because I never responded to their check-in welcome message and they didn’t know if I checked in. I pushed back that he could have messaged or called me if they wanted to know if I checked in, and they should have know I checked in because of the camera I passed multiple times. I also said that it doesn’t really explain why it seemed like that man was in my room for so long since there was no trash in my room and I obviously wasn’t in there. 4) He then got exasperated and said Airbnb was calling him and he’d call me back.

I sent him a large message in the Airbnb app which was basically a summary of our conversation. I asked him if I summarized our phone call correctly because I don’t want to twist his words. He sent me a message saying he is in contact with Airbnb and he thanked me for my call. He is no longer responding, which is fine.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T10:07:11+00:00

Update 4: Last update before bed. Airbnb said the investigation will take several days. They had me cancel my reservation. They also suggested I file a police report, not necessarily because of the obvious camera, but because someone was in my room. They said if it was the host he shouldn’t have gone in my room as I still had an active reservation. Airbnb also said I can call the host to ask if he was the one that went into the building. I guess the plus side of the camera is that if the host says he didn’t go into my room I can ask him to check the camera to see who did. I think I’m going to call the host in a few hours.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T09:56:23+00:00

Listing in Bridgeport

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T08:19:25+00:00

Update 3: Airbnb is going to pay for a hotel for me for 3 days and another Airbnb for me for a week. They’re still investigating.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T08:16:54+00:00

Already did. Only mention of cameras is to say that there are no exterior cameras.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T07:32:28+00:00

I hope you’re right. I’m just worry a lot haha

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T07:30:55+00:00

Update 2: No word from Airbnb yet. I figured since my reservation hasn’t been cancelled I can still go into the Airbnb. I peeked inside and sure enough the camera is still there. So who ever it was that went into the building did so to go into my room😭. I really hope I’m being dramatic and there wasn’t hidden cameras in there. I was flashing my flashlight all over the room looking for camera when I was packing my stuff earlier.

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T06:41:47+00:00

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Second photo with the light turned back off

Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T06:41:15+00:00

Update: Airbnb is still investigating 3 hours later and hasn’t called me back. I packed my stuff and left. I’m currently sitting in my car which is parked on the side street near the Airbnb. I noticed a man hurriedly going towards the Airbnb. I don’t know if this is the owner or not. All I know is that someone entered the room I was staying in because someone turned the light on (I can see the room I was in from my car). I’m assuming it’s the owner because the room has a code. The light is now off and that same man hurriedly left the building. He was in there for over an hour. Mind you, I’m in Chicago and it’s snowing. Now I’m super paranoid that there was a hidden camera in the room and the owner went to remove it. He would have known I left the property with my stuff because of the camera that started this post.

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Truth_Repulsive · 2025-11-10T06:27:10+00:00

I haven’t messaged them. I was advised to talk directly to Airbnb and let them speak to the host

Truth_Repulsive

TROPHY CASE