MIAMI (WSVN) - A tourist came across an alarming discovering at an Airbnb he was staying at in Miami.
Max Vest, in town for a fitness competition, claims he found hidden cameras inside of his rented two-bedroom apartment inside the Camden Apartments in Brickell.
The Gainesville resident said he discovered small black boxes plugged into power outlets.
“I wasn’t sure what they were, so I unplugged them and looked them up and found out they were hidden cameras,” Vest said.
After discovering the hidden surveillance system, he took out the storage cards and quickly left the Airbnb to report it to Miami Police.
“It was an uncomfortable feeling to know that I was being watched when I was in the privacy of a bedroom,” Vest said.
Police said Vest is not in any of the video captured on the cards, but they said other people are.
Additionally, officers told 7News that it’s illegal for anyone to record someone where there is an expectation of privacy — like a bedroom.
Investigators are now trying to figure out who the people in the video are and if they knew they were being recorded.
“The cameras were facing the bed, so I’m sure he was just seeing any footage of anybody changing clothes, when they came out of the shower or sleeping or anything else you would do in a bed,” Vest said.
In a statement to 7News, Vest’s lawyer said:
“We are working with local authorities and have notified Airbnb of our representation. We are willing to work with Airbnb to make this right, but we will pursue all legal options in an effort to recover damages suffered by our client and make sure that no other unsuspecting customers fall victim to this host.”
Airbnb also released its own statement that read in part, “Our community’s privacy and safety is our priority. We are working to fully support Mr. Vest, including a refund for the reservation. 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.”
Vest felt he’s lost his sense of privacy since the discovery.
“You should feel like you’re comfortable when you rent an Airbnb or a hotel or whatever it may be that you’re not being watched in the privacy of a bedroom,” he said.
The management at the apartment complex where the Airbnb was hosted said using the units as a rental is a violation of the lease.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.