Here’s a way to easily spot a spy camera in your rental property.

Have you rented an Aibnb property for a weekend or vacation? Take time to look around to see if there is a hidden camera spying on you.

With sunny days approaching and numerous public holidays looming on the horizon, it’s a great invitation to get some fresh air. You can also take advantage of this to spend a short weekend in a rented house or apartment offered on platforms such as AirBnB, Booking or Abritel! What can dampen your enthusiasm: cases of espionage (and voyeurism) that regularly appear in the media.

Indeed, travelers have complained of discovering that the property owner was filming them without their knowledge using cameras hidden in places such as the bathroom or bedroom. These cameras are placed in clock radios, wireless speakers, smoke detectors, etc. filmed in private. To avoid this phenomenon, AirBnB introduced from 1^uh April – Ban on the use of all CCTV cameras in rented premises, regardless of whether they are visible and with an indication or not, regardless of the premises in question. An encouraging measure, but difficult to implement. Also, if you have any doubts, there are tips for making sure your rental isn’t being monitored.

First, reflect: plunge the suspicious room into darkness and turn on your smartphone camera. Scan the space and observe a rather bright purple glow on the screen. In fact, cameras that have a motion sensor or are capable of shooting in the dark emit an infrared beam that is invisible to the naked eye (like a signal from a remote control). If such light appears on the screen, it is likely coming from the camera.

Another tip: use an app like Fing, available for Android and iOS. It scans your local Wi-Fi network and detects all devices connected to the network. If a spy camera shoots and broadcasts live video over the Internet, it will be exposed. This advice, unfortunately, does not work if the camera simply records video to a memory card, which is then restored by its owner.

If you find a camera in a rental car, but the owner has not mentioned it, report it to the rental platform immediately. It is also recommended to file a complaint with the police station or gendarmerie for invasion of privacy.