After having sex on the sofa bed, a British couple discovered a hidden camera on the wall of their Airbnb and shared their vacation nightmare.
When Cardiff residents Mike and Michaela Kennedy made the decision to reserve the modest £130-per-night cottage in Zaralejo for three nights earlier this month, they were traveling across northern Spain.
According to The Sun, the couple claims that they arrived to find the house in a “disgusting” state and had to cope with “piles of trash” and dead flies.
Despite photos on Airbnb depicting a pristine house surrounded by lovely gardens, ideally situated only 25 miles from Madrid, the couple claims the property was overgrown and they had to spend the first hour of their stay cleaning up.
And Mr. Kennedy, 55, said that the little camera positioned at the top of the living room wall and camouflaged to seem like a motion sensor or air freshener was the “icing on the cake” that they had found during an unplanned sex session on the couch bed.
I observed the camera on the wall of the living room, which was pointed directly through the space, said Mr. Kennedy. It was so little that you would mistake it for a movement sensor; it resembled a phone camera.
They had engaged in sexual activity “right in front of the camera,” he realized.
The Kennedys also claim they had a terrible night’s sleep due to a “industrial pump” in the bathroom that began making noise at 11 p.m. and continued all through the night.
The couple checked into the house for three nights, but after discovering the camera on the first morning, they departed. Mr. Kennedy protested to Luis, the house’s owner, about this.
But since the residence was in the country, the owner warned the newlyweds to anticipate flies.
Mr. Kennedy filed a complaint with Airbnb, calling his interaction with customer care “shocking.” He said that at first, he was informed that hosts are permitted to use cameras for “security reasons.”
When Mr. Kennedy persisted, they eventually gave him a complete refund and promised to pay for any further expenditures the couple incurred. The firm apparently first offered him a 50% refund and then closed the case.
I informed them that the property shouldn’t be advertised since it is in such bad shape. It need a comprehensive renovation since it seems repulsive, according to Mr. Kennedy.
After the “traumatic” event, he and his wife Michaela, 57, traveled to a hotel and paid £110 per night for their accommodations.
According to Airbnb, surveillance technology is allowed in shared places, but homeowners are required to declare any such equipment in the property description.
It is not allowed to use any concealed devices or any in private areas like toilets or bedrooms.
The Sun Online received the following statement from an Airbnb representative: “We have suspended this Host while we investigate and are offering the guest our full assistance.” We impose stringent regulations on recording devices and respond to uncommon problems that are brought to our notice.