A family of five has walked out of their accommodation after making a terrifying discovery in their Australia Airbnb.
Kriss and Kate Hardman had checked into the four-bedroom home when they stumbled upon a massive camera pointing directly into the living room.
The camera appeared to be on as a red dot blinked while Hardman filmed it.
“It’s a nice place, but there’s one thing I’m not sure about. Maybe you can help me out,” he asked his social media followers.
“Is that allowed in Airbnbs? Is that standard practice? I don’t think it should be allowed.”
In a separate clip, the couple revealed they had decided to leave the accommodation and book a hotel after the incident left them “spooked.”
“The safety of our three children was what meant the most to us,” Hardman said.
“Airbnb fully supported this. They said that we could move and they would find accommodation equivalent to where we were staying, which was a four-bedroom place central to Perth CBD.”
Airbnb offered to arrange an alternative property at no extra cost and also pay for the hotel stay.
But Hardman claims the company “went quiet” after finding out a replacement would likely come at a staggering cost.
After multiple pleas online, the family revealed they had since received a coupon after the videos reached the “highest level of Airbnb’s management.”
“It got us across the line,” Hardman told his followers.
“It got us a coupon that covers us well and truly what the property costs. They got us an alternate property in a similar location, and they’re reimbursing everything.”
A spokesperson for Airbnb Australia and New Zealand told news.com.au that hosts are not permitted to have security cameras or recording devices that monitor indoor spaces in homes, even if they are turned off.
“Airbnb has provided the guest with a full refund and assisted them in rebooking alternate accommodation,” they said.
“In the rare event a host or guest feels unsafe or experiences a safety-related issue during an active reservation, we have a safety team that can be reached via our 24 Hour Safety Line, which is available to all users.”
However, Hardman said it was “a shame that it took the power of social media to reach Airbnb for them to do what is the right thing.
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