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How to spot hidden cameras in a vacation rental? The trick that avoids a lot of trouble

 

These stories of hidden surveillance cameras are not new, rumors have been circulating for many months about the installation of these cameras by the owners of rental accommodation. With the holidays approaching, it’s the perfect time to make your reservation for the whole family. Renting a holiday home or apartment can be tedious but the most important thing is to feel safe.

If you are suspicious and afraid of finding yourself in an awkward situation at your arrival in your holiday home, we are going to share with you some tips from experts relayed by the Huff Post newspaper, in order to flush out the secrets of your host. You will be able to know if you are in the presence of hidden cameras in your vacation rental.

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A vacation rental – Source: spm

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In ten years, most people have changed the way they travel and do not hesitate to book with individuals or via rental platforms, holiday homes for a weekend or more long duration. However, when you book your future vacation rental, videos are circulating of tourists who have found hidden cameras in their accommodation. Jack Plaxe, founder and director of Security Consulting Alliance, Kentucky and Carrie Kerskie, CEO of a privacy consulting firm, explain the tricks to to avoid unpleasant surprises and to find the cameras likely to be concealed in your holiday accommodation.

– Look for objects placed in unusual places in the vacation rental

To find out if your holiday accommodation has hidden cameras, remember to check all the objects in your rental. Scan the premises sparingly and try to put yourself in your host’s shoes to find out where he could have placed a camera. For example, if you notice furniture placed in unusual places or if you see a smoke detector in an unusual place, you may have some doubts about the installation of hidden cameras.

– Illuminate suspicious objects in the vacation rental with a flashlight

 

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To check that you are not in the presence of hidden cameras in your holiday accommodation, you can use this simple trick. Turn off the lights of the apartment or the house in order to find yourself in total darkness, then illuminate suspicious objects with a lamp. If you see a reflection, it may be a sign that there is a hidden camera in this area.

– Check the Wifi network of the vacation rentalYou can detect if your accommodation contains hidden cameras thanks to the Wifi network. Most surveillance cameras work using an internet connection and they are visible when you search for a device to connect to Wifi. To do this, go to the internet settings of your smartphone and check if you do not see a suspicious name like “IP Camera”. Sometimes the cameras are not visible under evocative names but you can download the Network Scanner, Fing and Inet applications which show you the list of devices connected to the Wifi network. You can then find out if a camera is connected to the same network as the house you are renting. If you have any doubts, you can disconnect the Wifi network which will disable all hidden cameras.

– Use infrared rays to check if cameras are hidden in the rental house

According to the journal du Geek, Cameras sometimes emit infrared rays when ‘they are filming and often you can see them in the dark. If they are not visible to the naked eye, you can find them with your smartphone. To do this, film your home with the smartphone camera in total darkness. Then watch the recorded video and check if there is a little flicker on the screen as it would mean that a camera is filming.

These simple methods could help you detect any hidden cameras in your home but this remains exceptional . If in doubt, contact the vacation rental site directly to write a privacy breach statement.

Read alsoHere’s how find out if your vacation rental has been thoroughly cleaned before your arrival