A tourist who planned to stay in an Airbnb in Miami says he found two hidden cameras disguised as phone chargers in his room.
Max Vest arrived at the two-bedroom apartment he was renting at the Camden Brickell building on Sunday and says he received a tour from the host. He says later on when he was alone in the room, he found the two devices plugged into outlets, one under a large mirror and another under an air freshener.
"It was shocking. I did not know what to think at first, I did not know if I was being watched live or if it was just being recorded, or what was going on there," Vest told NBC 6 on Friday.
Vest, who was visiting from Gainesville, said he left the apartment and found somewhere else to stay, but not before taking video on his cell phone of the apartment. He said police told him there were dozens of video files on each device, but Vest said he's confident he wasn't filmed.
"It was a shared Airbnb, it was a two bedroom, two bath, he lived in one bedroom and he rented out the other bedroom to guests. So he was there, he was there the whole time," Vest said.
Vest contacted Miami Police and officials said that they're investigating the incident and trying to identify possible victims. Police declined to give further details about the investigation to NBC 6.
"Our community’s privacy and safety is our priority. We are working to fully support Mr. Vest, including a refund for the reservation," Airbnb said in a statement. "We require hosts to clearly disclose any security cameras in writing on their listings and we have strict standards governing surveillance devices in listings. This host has been removed from our community."
Local
A representative for Camden Brickell said tenants aren't allowed to participate in Airbnb programs because they are against company policy and a violation of the lease agreement.
