Donna and Raymond Nunn were forced to flee their Airbnb rental in Madrid, Spain, after discovering hidden cameras pointing at their bed. The couple, who were celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary, found the devices on the second day of their stay.
Discovery of the Hidden Camera
Donna, 62, originally from Kent, said they arrived at the flat in the Lavapies suburb on August 3. They first noticed a motion sensor in the living room pointed at the front door, but as there were no flashing lights, they decided not to worry.
The next day, while Donna was out sightseeing, her 87-year-old army veteran husband Raymond spotted a camera in the bedroom facing the bed, with a green light flashing. The camera was about four inches long, tucked in a corner, but pointed directly towards the bed.
Immediate Response and Aftermath
The couple, who moved to Jaen, Spain, in 1999, contacted Airbnb for advice and were told to leave the apartment immediately. It was 8pm, so they had to stay overnight until they could find another place the next day. They left the Airbnb just two days after arriving for their "bucket-list" trip.
Donna said: "We were extremely frightened by the discovery." She added: "It can’t have been there for security reasons. It felt like we were being watched inside what should have been a safe and private space."
She continued: "We were both shaking when we realised, and reached out to Airbnb. They told us to leave immediately which made us even more worried... Raymond took the camera off the wall and turned it around, but it was horrifying... It’s a shame because we will never go back to Madrid now because of this."
Airbnb's Response
An Airbnb spokesperson said: "We have issued a full refund to the guest and have suspended the listing while we conduct a further investigation into this matter. In 2024, we banned all indoor security cameras in listings regardless of where they are placed, or whether they are deactivated during guest stays. In the rare event of a violation of our policy on security cameras we take appropriate action, which can include removing listings and users from Airbnb. Stays reserved through Airbnb are overwhelmingly defined by positive experiences, and we take any reports of issues made to us seriously."
