Area Airbnb owners see no issue with new camera policy

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)

Some Airbnb hosts may have to make changes within the next month. Airbnb announced this week that it is banning the use of indoor security cameras. 

The policy will take effect on April 30. The move is designed to provide guests with more privacy, due to increasing concerns from vacationers. A spokesperson from Airbnb told ABC 17 News in an email that hosts who violate the policy can be removed from the service. Airbnb added that hosts will be held accountable by guests, who can report concerns about a violation of the policy which will result in an investigation by their safety team. 

Matt Ryan, who owns four Airbnb locations in Columbia, said he received an email from the company on Monday alerting him of changes. He said he has security cameras set up outside of his properties and understands why a host who rents out a room has one to protect valuables inside their house.

However, he said he is personally against cameras inside of a house, to due to the invasion of privacy and added that he only checks his outdoor security cameras if there is an incident at one of his properties. 

“If you had a long-term rental would you want the landlord to have a camera in your house? Probably not. I don’t want someone looking at me,” Ryan said. 

Ryan added that he has a 90% occupancy rate at his four Columbia properties and has yet to have an issue. 

“Guests don’t like it, and honestly, a common misconception is there is a bunch of parties and stuff at these Airbnb’s. I’m going to guess I’ve hosted more than 600 nights in the past year and zero parties, zero complaints and so I really don’t have any issues to have a camera inside a house,” Ryan said.  

Ryan said he is a member of several online groups that are Airbnb-affiliated and said most people see an indoor camera as a major red flag when looking for places to book. 

“If you did have a camera in your house most people will avoid booking there. You might have some bad host out there who is sitting there watching the camera for no reason. So I understand why people would feel uncomfortable with that.” 

Melissa Menard, who has owned AirBnB’s for four years which includes a property in Columbia, agrees. 

“I wouldn’t stay in a house if I was a guest and thought there were cameras. I would probably leave,” Menard said. 

Menard said she initially began renting out the lower level of her home once her children moved out. After seeing the demand for short-term rentals, she and her husband quickly realized that Airbnb could be a great source of revenue. 

“We really enjoy hosting,” Menard said. “We just like creating a hospitable environment for people” 

Part of creating a hospitable environment includes making sure guests are comfortable. Because of this she only uses a ring doorbell camera outside of the property. 

“I think that is useful as a host because then I always know who the guests are and if there's anyone coming or bothering the house that isn’t a guest. But I would never put a camera inside because that would be crazy,” Menard explained. 

Menard says she found out that Airbnb was changing its camera policy through a news headline. However, like Ryan, she believes most hosts don’t need to have indoor cameras. 

“I am the one who flips after every guest so I know if something is different who it was who made it different so cameras wouldn’t be any more useful than just the way I interact with the property and the AirBnB insurance that they offer. 

She added that she has never had an issue with any of her guests where she wished she would have had a camera since the host can review guests and the guest can review them so there is accountability built into the system. 

Changes coming to Columbia

While the two were in agreement on the new policy, they did not see eye to eye on the Columbia City Council’s new short-term rental regulations. In February, the City Council voted 5-1 on to make changes to the city code regarding short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO.

The regulations include a three-tiered structure with operational and rental day limitations, supplemental “use-specific standards” addressing licensure, site and operational limitations and revisions to the permitted use table. 

The three-tier system limits certain properties to rentals 30 days per year in Tier 1, no more than 210 days per year in Tier 2 and year-round rentals in Tier 3.

“I think it’s a good thing for the city to know how many AirBnB there are and where they are and to be able to decide what saturation they want and I also know that it’s really important that there be enough affordable rental stock for people,” Menard said. 

Ryan disagrees. 

“Planning and Zoning and the City Council in my opinion is doing Columbia a huge disservice by just having one (new regulations),” Ryan said. “I wish they would let me continue to have what I have but I’m just going to continue to purchase outside the City of Columbia, and unfortunately give somebody else my money.”