A retired couple were forced to leave their Airbnb after they found hidden cameras pointed at their bed. Donna and Raymond Nunn made the discovery during a 'bucket-list' trip to Madrid for their 39th wedding anniversary earlier this month.
After they arrived at the apartment in Lavapies, a vibrant neighbourhood in the city centre, on August 3, they noticed a motion sensor in the living room angled towards the front door. But the pair didn't think anything of it and didn't notice any flashing lights that may have indicated the device was recording.
Discovery in the bedroom
The next day Donna, 62, went out sightseeing on her own, leaving Raymond, 87, alone in the apartment. It was then that he noticed another camera, this time in the bedroom facing the bed and with a green flashing light.
The couple, who moved to Jaen, Spain, in 1999, contacted Airbnb for advice and were told to leave the apartment immediately. But by then it was 8pm and they were forced to sleep there and wait until they could safely find somewhere else to stay. The following day they left for an apartment two hours south of the city.
Guests' account
Donna, originally from Kent, told Talk to the Press: 'We live in Spain but we were going to Madrid as a bucket-list trip that we've wanted to do for ages and to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary this month. We booked in March and had a typical conversation with the host who planned to meet us there.'
'When we first arrived, the host was nowhere to be found but instructed us via webchat as to how to get into the property. When we finally made it inside the apartment, we noticed the camera in the living room as it was facing us as we walked in, but there were no lights on it so we presumed it was off. However, we didn't notice the camera in the bedroom until the next day after we had already slept in the bed.'
'I was out sightseeing but my husband is less mobile so stayed at home and he noticed the light in the camera was flickering. The light wasn't on the day before, so I think it was one that can be remotely turned on and off when the host wants. We were extremely frightened by the discovery. The camera was about four inches in length and tucked in the corner, but pointed directly towards the bed. 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.'
Airbnb response
Donna said the couple were terrified and contacted Airbnb straight away on August 4. She said: 'We were both shaking when we realised. Raymond took the camera off the wall and turned it around, but it was horrifying. We managed to book another place a couple of hours away, which was nice but meant that we couldn't finish the sightseeing. It's a shame because we will never go back to Madrid now because of this.'
The couple left the Airbnb on August 5, 2026, just two days after they arrived. In 2024, Airbnb introduced a worldwide ban on the use of security cameras inside rental properties following a consultation with guests, hosts and privacy experts. The rules allow the use of doorbell cameras and noise monitors in common areas, but these have to be disclosed on the property's listing page.
Airbnb has removed the listing from its website and Donna and Raymond have received a full refund for the trip and rebooking. 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.'
