A Delaware couple said surveillance cameras inside an Airbnb may have secretly recorded them while they were being intimate during their honeymoon in Oregon.
Madison Gerdts and her wife Danielle told NBC10 they spent their honeymoon at a loft-style Airbnb in Port Orford, Oregon, two weeks ago.
“It was a beautiful home and it had a great view,” Gerdts said.
The couple said they soon made a disturbing discovery however.
“While being intimate, my wife noticed that there was a light on in one corner,” Gerdts said. “She said, ‘Oh my God, there’s a camera.’”
The couple then realized that when the loft gates went down, the bedroom was in view of indoor surveillance cameras. They unplugged the cameras and then reached out to an Airbnb employee.
“The guy started laughing,” Gerdts said.
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The couple said they were unsure if the owner of the home or whoever installed the cameras, was watching them or would come to the house. They then left and stayed at a hotel.
A spokesperson for Airbnb said the home is no longer available on their website. Vacasa, the company which actually managed the property and placed it on Airbnb, sent a statement to NBC10.
“Indoor security cameras are not allowed in any vacation rental we manage, and installing them, even if visible to guests, directly violates our policy,” a spokesperson for Vacasa said.
The spokesperson also said the home is no longer in their system.
For Gerdts, the issue is about more than just money.
“You know, refund my money all you want,” she said. “That’s not what I’m after."
Gerdts said she wants to know whether or not the cameras recorded her and her wife while they were intimate. They reported the incident to Oregon law enforcement. The spokesperson for Vacasa also said the homeowner went to the police as well.
It’s unknown at this time if a crime was committed or if charges will be filed. Regardless of what happens, Gerdts doesn’t plan on using Airbnb ever again.
“And now we feel like our trust has been betrayed and we don’t want our friends and family and other unsuspecting guests to be videotaped without their knowledge,” she said. “I mean it’s a huge invasion of privacy and it’s wrong.”
