One in ten vacation rentals is fitted with hidden spy cameras as experts reveal how to spot the devices inside chargers, smoke alarms and TV sound bars

Thousands of holidaymakers have no idea they are being spied on in their rental properties as technology has made some cameras almost too small to see, experts have warned.

Lenses the size of a pinhead are routinely hidden in electrical outlets, smoke detectors or mirrors. Nearly one in ten rental properties is now bugged, researcher Thomas Martin told CBS.

It is illegal in the US to install covert cameras where residents have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and this practice is strictly prohibited by rental companies such as AirBnB and VRBO.

But the devices have been found in bedrooms, bathrooms and even shower heads filming guests’ most intimate moments.

“Once that recording is made, it’s impossible to know where it went, who sent it, whether it was shared and ended up on the Internet,” said Maryland attorney Dan Whitney.

“Now it’s a Pandora’s box of uncertainty.”

Whitney represented Texas couple Kayelee Gates and Christian Capraro, who sued their AirBnB owner for $75,000 after discovering cameras in the bedroom of their Maryland rental home and realizing an identical one had just filmed them having sex in the bathroom .

“I went into pure panic, pure shock,” Gates said.

“I definitely had a lot of crying sessions about it.”

Martin, who runs a private research firm in Newport Beach, California, says he gets between five and eight calls a day asking him to investigate bugs.

He suggests asking the property owner if he has conducted insect surveys on his property.

“If they can provide documents showing that they have carried out checks, so much the better,” he added.

“Let’s give credit where credit is due, short-term rental companies have tried to address this.”

San Diego private investigator Bart Santos said heating and air conditioning vents were common places to hide cameras.

Gates and Capraro were filmed by cameras hidden in smoke detectors, but Santos says the threat can be easily dealt with.

‘You obviously don’t want to destroy smoke detectors in a house or apartment that you rent. Putting a little piece of tape over it won’t do any harm and can take away the fear of hidden cameras,” he says. explained.

Televisions and phone chargers are also vulnerable, Santos says, and the presence of cameras could indicate a missing screw or an extra hole.

“I like to think of it in terms of the Secret Service and how agents detect counterfeits by studying the real thing. That way they know when something doesn’t seem right,” he added.

A shocked couple discovered their San Diego Clairemont Mesa Airbnb covered in cameras on the third night of their stay in 2018.

“My client immediately did the right thing and contacted the police, something anyone should do if they believe there is a camera in their holiday home,” said lawyer David Beavans.

“The police then followed him back to the rental unit and investigated, wrote a report, took their photos and then filed a claim against the property owner.”

“The concern in cases like this is that these images were not seen by just one person,” he added.

‘The concern is that they were sold outside to generate cash. For my client, that means every time someone looks at him strangely, every time someone else looks at him, he wonders if he’s being recognized.”

Michael O’Rourke of global security firm Advanced Operational Concepts recommends unplugging bedside clocks and covering keyholes in doors and gaps under doorways.

Turning off all lights and using a flashlight can help spot telltale reflections from camera lenses, says Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy.

Hauk said that while the room is dark, you can also look for green or red LED lights — another telltale sign of a hidden camera.

“Look behind hanging mirrors for cameras,” he added.

‘If there is a mirror screwed to the wall, turn off the lights, hold a flashlight up to the mirror and scan the surface with it.

‘If all you see is the reflection of your flashlight, the mirror is probably a traditional one-way mirror.

‘However, if you can see into an area behind the mirror, it is likely a two-way mirror, allowing hidden cameras to capture the area.

‘Look out for strange Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth signals and use your phone to connect to nearby devices: these could be signs of recording equipment.’

Hundreds of holidaymakers have uploaded footage to TikTok revealing the secret recording devices they found in their rental properties.

But the platform is also full of tips to avoid becoming a victim.

British computer security expert Marcus Hutchins is best known for thwarting the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack before being arrested for selling banking malware.

But he’s also gotten five million likes for his TikTok video on how to find hidden cameras in rentals.

“Look for devices conveniently placed where a creeper might want to lurk,” he said.

‘Take this fire alarm for example, which hangs just above the bed.

‘These camera lenses are very small, so they can be hidden anywhere, even in a hole in the wall.’

An Airbnb spokesperson told CBS that hidden cameras in rentals are extremely rare and that devices are not allowed in private areas of the home, such as the bathroom and bedroom.

A spokesperson for VRBO said it has “a strict, long-standing policy against surveillance devices that violate the privacy and security of our guests.”

“While these events are rare, our trust and safety team actively investigates all complaints about bad actors and takes action accordingly, including permanently removing hosts that violate our policies,” she added.