Hidden camera found in Scottsdale Airbnb, lawsuit says

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A family vacationing in the Valley said they experienced an Airbnb nightmare after finding a hidden camera above their bed disguised as a smoke detector. The details are laid out in a lawsuit recently filed in federal court against the owner of the property and Airbnb.

“This is a complete violation and invasion of their privacy and clearly put there with a purpose,” said Joseph Brown of Accident Law Group who is representing the family.

According to the lawsuit, the family booked the rental in Scottsdale in March of 2024 for five nights. They were prepared to pay $2,779 for their stay at the large home near Shea Boulevard and 114th Street. 

Their trip took a twisted turn after the first night.

The family said their two children went to bed and the couple went into the primary bedroom and shared some “intimate moments.” The next morning, they noticed a smoke detector in an unusual place above their bed. After further inspection, they realized it was actually a hidden camera. They found a memory card inside of it with footage of several other people dating back to 2020, according to the lawsuit.

The family was also concerned that the camera had a Wi-Fi signal. They wondered if they were being livestreamed.

“I think their biggest concern was what was recorded?” Brown said. “Were their kids filmed? Is there stuff in their kids’ room that they couldn’t find?”

They called Scottsdale PD and Airbnb as they packed their bags and left.

“This is an invasion of privacy. We don’t know what was recorded,” Brown said. “How many people have stayed in this home and not realized that that camera was there?”

12News made multiple attempts to reach the owner of the property, both in person and over the phone. Two people outside of the home on Friday declined to comment. The property owner’s father told 12News he would pass along questions to his son.

Airbnb provided 12News with a statement saying, “Hidden cameras have always been and will always be banned on Airbnb, and issues are exceptionally rare. We supported the guest and suspended the host from the platform last year, and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation into this allegation.”

“You’ve gotten more reaction from Airbnb than we have. We couldn’t even get a return phone call. We reached out multiple times. We sent letters. This is what prompted the lawsuit and it’s because they wouldn’t even return our phone call,” Brown said.

Scottsdale records show the homeowner was cited for failing to have a required vacation rental license and for failing to respond to an emergency at their rental property.

Scottsdale PD told 12News that their criminal investigation remains ongoing and active. 

“I mean this is presumably, obviously, very perverse reasons that someone put a camera over the top of the master suite bedroom. And I think that’s really, really shocking to me that Scottsdale PD really didn’t dive into this much further,” Brown said.