Security camera policies: what's allowed and what's not?

Category: Operations & Cleaning

By: Nolan Peters

Posted: 2026-01-21T13:00:20.883Z

I want to install security cameras on my STR property for safety (porch piracy, unauthorized guest detection, etc.) but I know there are strict rules about cameras on Airbnb. What cameras do you use, where do you put them, and how do you disclose them?

Reply by David Okafor:

Camera policy is critical to get right — violations can get you permanently banned from Airbnb. Here's the current (2024) landscape: **Airbnb's updated camera policy (April 2024):** - **BANNED:** All indoor cameras, period. Even common areas. Even disclosed. This is a change from the old policy. - **ALLOWED:** Outdoor cameras on exterior areas (doorbell cam, driveway, front porch, parking area) — but MUST be disclosed in your listing with exact locations. **My setup:** 1. **Ring Video Doorbell** — front door (captures arrivals/departures) 2. **Ring Floodlight Cam** — driveway/parking area 3. **Minut noise/occupancy sensor** (https://minut.com) — INDOOR but NOT a camera. Measures noise levels, occupancy (via Bluetooth device counting), and cigarette smoke. This is the legal way to monitor indoor activity without cameras. **Disclosure requirements:** In your Airbnb listing settings → House Rules → Surveillance devices → list each camera with its exact location. Also mention in your listing description: "Exterior security cameras are present covering the front entrance and driveway for your safety. No indoor cameras or audio recording devices." **VRBO:** Similar rules. Exterior cameras OK with disclosure, interior cameras not allowed in private spaces. **The Minut sensor is the game-changer** for STR hosts. It detects parties (noise above threshold), unauthorized occupancy (more Bluetooth devices than guest count), and cigarette smoke — all without recording audio or video. I've caught 3 unauthorized parties in the last year through Minut alerts.

Reply by Michael Thompson:

I learned about the indoor camera ban the hard way — had a camera in the living room (disclosed!) and Airbnb suspended my listing for 2 days during peak season while they investigated a guest complaint. Even though I'd disclosed it, the new policy doesn't allow it. Switched to Minut sensors and they cover 90% of what I needed the cameras for. The noise monitoring alone has been invaluable. Get the smoke detection add-on too — catching a smoker DURING their stay gives you evidence for a cleaning fee claim, not just a bad smell after checkout.