Thoughts on the meeting location being an Airbnb?

[hwic04]

I have privacy concerns about meeting an escort at an Airbnb  or similar type rental property. It seems to me that a hotel room or even a well known escort’s home present no risk of cameras or inquisitive neighbors . But at a short term rental neither the escort nor the client can be 100% sure that hidden cameras  are not inside a house or  that surveillance is not taking place outside a house . Either could compromise privacy in a very big way. I  once called off one appointment with  an escort traveling to my area when I learned the  appointment location was not going to be a hotel.

Am I wrong to have this concern? Am I being paranoid?

For providers:  Do you have the same concerns? When traveling have you opted to save money by choosing a short term rental property rather than a hotel? Or do you have the same privacy concerns I  have?

For clients: Your thoughts/experiences?

[BuffaloKyle]

When Are Cameras Legal in an Airbnb (and How Can You Spot Them)? | Lifehacker

LIFEHACKER.COM

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Renting an Airbnb property means living in someone else’s home—but does that mean they can spy on you?

 

[marylander1940]

35 minutes ago, hwic04 said:

I have privacy concerns about meeting an escort at an Airbnb  or similar type rental property. It seems to me that a hotel room or even a well known escort’s home present no risk of cameras or inquisitive neighbors . But at a short term rental neither the escort nor the client can be 100% sure that hidden cameras  are not inside a house or  that surveillance is not taking place outside a house . Either could compromise privacy in a very big way. I  once called off one appointment with  an escort traveling to my area when I learned the  appointment location was not going to be a hotel.

Am I wrong to have this concern? Am I being paranoid?

For providers:  Do you have the same concerns? When traveling have you opted to save money by choosing a short term rental property rather than a hotel? Or do you have the same privacy concerns I  have?

For clients: Your thoughts/experiences?

yes, you're being paranoid. 

you can always get your own highway motel room without a key needed for the elevator and parking right in front of the door if you feel more comfortable there. 

[Trig]

I’ve met in air bnbs in the past and thought nothing of it. I’m meeting someone this weekend in another one. Never had any problems, but now I’ll be thing about it. 

[Simon Suraci]

I chalk it up to paranoia. Hosts aren’t interested in guest activities unless the guests damage the property or violate the house rules. If something is damaged, the hosts don’t need it on video inside, just confirmation that a particular guest was in the unit to prove that the damage happened on the guest’s watch.

Lots of AirBnBs have cameras outside, near entries but not inside. One host in Houston noticed I had visitors coming and going and called it in. Since having visitors does not violate the rules, he couldn’t do anything. Only if I had unauthorized overnight guests would I have violated the rules. So the host made up a story about having a family emergency and asked me to leave, and refunded the balance of my stay. Sucks I had to cancel several days full of appointments and high tail it back to Dallas.

You can filter for AirBnBs that do not have any cameras. I do that now whenever possible. I also explicitly ask the hosts before booking if it’s ok to have visitors. I explain that it would not be for parties or loud gatherings, just 1-2 people for a couple hours or so. No problems since I started doing that. I rely on AirBnb, VRBO, and similar services to book my accommodations because it’s the only way I can get everything I need at the right price.

Most hotels do not have guest laundry facilities. Keep that in mind the next time you visit a masseur in a hotel and ask consider how many massages have taken place on the sheets you’re laying on. AirBnBs give me access to the amenities I need to provide a good client experience, like parking, nice neighborhood, an uncramped space to set up a table, and laundry. It’s usually less than hotel prices too, which make it worthwhile for me to do the trip.

Hotels are not immune from peeping toms either. Anyone see that Netflix true crime doc about the hotel owner who watched his guests for years in the attic vents? Consider your level of risk tolerance and proceed accordingly. The vast majority of accommodations will not have cameras spying on guests inside the unit. You’re more likely to be filmed without your knowledge by a masseur, escort, or psychopath hookup in any location than an AirBnB.

Netflix's intensely creepy documentary Voyeur will scare you away from motels forever

WWW.RADIOTIMES.COM

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Journalist Gay Talese uncovers the nefarious tale of a crafty peeping tom

 

[acks0104]

Really, the only way you're going to be sure that you're not being recorded on camera is if you always do out calls at your own home, but I highly doubt that the majority of escorts or Airbnb renters care about recording people at all. Why would someone want to risk getting sued for extortion?

[+ DrownedBoy]

One of my regulars always uses Airbnb, and I asked him this question. He said he never had a problem. 

And I've had no problem saying a "friend" is dropping by a rented cabin or similar place. Most people who see 2 guys hanging out don't think of sex, unless there's a reason. 

[+ Pensant]

I’ve never given it a second thought. Last February a provider and I were going at it before dinner in a hotel with the shades open. He noticed that someone was watching from the neighboring apartment. Thank God I’d done some intense reverse lunges that morning so at least my ass looked good. I wonder if they recorded it?

Edited December 1, 2023 by Pensant

[+ Axiom2001]

On 11/30/2023 at 8:22 AM, hwic04 said:

I have privacy concerns about meeting an escort at an Airbnb  or similar type rental property. It seems to me that a hotel room or even a well known escort’s home present no risk of cameras or inquisitive neighbors . But at a short term rental neither the escort nor the client can be 100% sure that hidden cameras  are not inside a house or  that surveillance is not taking place outside a house . Either could compromise privacy in a very big way. I  once called off one appointment with  an escort traveling to my area when I learned the  appointment location was not going to be a hotel.

Am I wrong to have this concern? Am I being paranoid?

I've never given your concern any thought, and I have rented Airbnb apartments while visiting in Barcelona, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Los Angeles.  I've rented the apartments, all liked except the one in the latter city that I cited above.  ...have rented and have had loads of fun without undergoing any repercussions. 

For providers:  Do you have the same concerns? When traveling have you opted to save money by choosing a short term rental property rather than a hotel? Or do you have the same privacy concerns I  have?

For clients: Your thoughts/experiences?

 

[Massageguy99]

I'm just going to tell you now. 

A. You have no idea if a provider has hidden cameras in his home.

B. Most hotel workers know exactly what you are doing. The reason why is most hotels unless you are at a large Vegas resort has a small crew. 

Housekeeping talks to the front desk and gossips constantly. When a particular room has 1 occupant but they insist on 2beds and they stay for 1-3 nights but request extra linen, towels, etc. it is a red flag for most desk clerks and like I said hskp talks. 

They may never say anything to the guest and as long as the guest is quiet and there are no issues no one cares. 

If you are so worried about camera and being seen then my recommendation is to rent your own hotel room and do an outcall there. 

The reality is people have already seen you, and recorded your coming and goings. That is the realty of the world we live in now. 

 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:36 PM, Simon Suraci said:

Since having visitors does not violate the rules, he couldn’t do anything.

this is the problem with AirBnBs - and it depends on the type of AirBnB.  If it’s in a single family home, then no problem.  If it’s in a residential multi-unit building, then that is a problem IMO.  

Both owners & renters usually have to go through a background screening process to get into many buildings these days.  The assumption is when owners/renters have gone through this process, then there is a certain level of additional safety in the building and those people are then responsible for the guests they allow to enter the premises.  AirBnB turns that idea upside down - with AirBnb renters there is only screening based on that persons reviews and no responsibility for the guests they might bring in.

While @Simon Suraci may be a responsible AirBnB guest, many are not.  Owners/renters generally don’t want a revolving door of unknown people coming in/out of the place they call home.  Many of these buildings have no security whatsoever and that opens the door to all kinds of issues.  One of the buildings I live in has 3 units that can be used for AirBnB (only because the building changed the rules after the fact) and those apartments create all the problems.  The neighbors all know exactly what is going on in those units - not rocket science.  If there are multiple visitors at all hours, then it’s probably drug-dealing or sex-work.  Thats just the truth. And the neighbors will be complaining to the building management and whomever owns the unit.

FYI - cameras are so small & tiny now where it would be difficult to know if the host has a camera or not. Once the host has been burned once or twice, you’re likely being watched. 

Edited December 4, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[Simon Suraci]

On 11/30/2023 at 3:20 PM, acks0104 said:

Why would someone want to risk getting sued for extortion?

Say you ARE recorded without your knowledge or consent. It might stop right there, without anyone else seeing it. It has to be pretty compelling footage for someone to be motivated to post it. It could be at the wrong angle, or without the best lighting, or maybe the footage is just not that interesting in general. Maybe the way you look is not that interesting to the peeping Tom.

Say it passed those tests and ends up on the internet somewhere. For some, the concern ends right there. People don’t even know who you are, or care, unless you’re a well known national or international public figure. Most people aren’t. You probably don’t even know it’s online and will never find it in the first place.

Your face is likely blurred. Many sites are better about privacy and consent now, although not all. The biggest names in online video content require all parties to consent to the video being posted, especially if the video is monetized in any way.

Say you manage to find a video of yourself online. You can request to have it taken down or take legal actions to force it to be taken down and have the Tom pay for your legal fees. Nobody wants to deal with the legal fallout, so you have the upper hand.

I get it. No one wants to be secretly recorded or have their privacy violated. But still, in the worst case, the consequences for most people are pretty minimal. I’m not saying hidden cams are acceptable or that we should tolerate them. I’m just saying that most clients have little to worry about in the grand scheme of things.

Well known public figures presumably have the means to control the environment such as having an outcall at a hotel or at their home, hiring private security, and making the provider sign an NDA, among other measures. Those with a true, compelling need for privacy already have it.

Hate to break it to you guys, but most clients aren’t the kinds of people someone cares to post videos of on the internet. What you do behind closed doors is, by and large, not that interesting.

[maninsoma]

2 hours ago, Simon Suraci said:

Say you ARE recorded without your knowledge or consent. It might stop right there, without anyone else seeing it. It has to be pretty compelling footage for someone to be motivated to post it. It could be at the wrong angle, or without the best lighting, or maybe the footage is just not that interesting in general. Maybe the way you look is not that interesting to the peeping Tom.

Say it passed those tests and ends up on the internet somewhere. For some, the concern ends right there. People don’t even know who you are, or care, unless you’re a well known national or international public figure. Most people aren’t. You probably don’t even know it’s online and will never find it in the first place.

Your face is likely blurred. Many sites are better about privacy and consent now, although not all. The biggest names in online video content require all parties to consent to the video being posted, especially if the video is monetized in any way.

Say you manage to find a video of yourself online. You can request to have it taken down or take legal actions to force it to be taken down and have the Tom pay for your legal fees. Nobody wants to deal with the legal fallout, so you have the upper hand.

I get it. No one wants to be secretly recorded or have their privacy violated. But still, in the worst case, the consequences for most people are pretty minimal. I’m not saying hidden cams are acceptable or that we should tolerate them. I’m just saying that most clients have little to worry about in the grand scheme of things.

Well known public figures presumably have the means to control the environment such as having an outcall at a hotel or at their home, hiring private security, and making the provider sign an NDA, among other measures. Those with a true, compelling need for privacy already have it.

Hate to break it to you guys, but most clients aren’t the kinds of people someone cares to post videos of on the internet. What you do behind closed doors is, by and large, not that interesting.

I understand what you are saying, and I don't disagree in the sense that hidden camera footage of most client activity isn't likely to be posted online because there simply wouldn't be much interest. 

I read the concern to be more about the potential for blackmail, though, and it doesn't matter if the camera angle is bad or the client is the ugliest man in the world.  If the footage contains recognizable images, someone could attempt to use it to extort money from the client.  I just think the odds of this are so low that it isn't worth thinking about, but I have read here that some clients have been blackmailed (or at least there were attempts to blackmail them) simply because they answered someone's ad.  So I don't think this concern is just paranoia, depending on what one's situation is.  But there really is no way to avoid all potential risks, only to minimize them, and if someone feels better being in control of the meeting space (i.e., renting a hotel room themselves for the meeting) then they certainly should do so.

[Luv2play]

I would never rent an Airbnb for myself as I just prefer the convenience of good hotels and all the amenities they offer.
 

Only recently did I visit an escort at his Airbnb and I had been with him twice before at my hotel in a different city.
When I got to the location I could see it was a corporate situation, not someone’s private apartment. The whole building seemed to be short term rentals. It was in a downtown location and was an old building that was totally renovated with nice two bedroom suites. There was a keypad on the outside of the building that renters used to gain access, So my guy had to come down to let me in.

I imagined they had some kind of camera in the entranceway but did not think they were installed in the bedrooms. In any case we kept the bedroom lights so low to enhance the romantic mood that a camera wouldn’t been able to see me getting fucked. Or so I hope.

[Your Man in Arlington]

4 hours ago, Luv2play said:

I would never rent an Airbnb for myself as I just prefer the convenience of good hotels and all the amenities they offer.

I have given AirBnB's a few chances, but they have never measured up on the QPR for me and have since given up them. Why do you need sheets that fit your bed or actual curtains over the windows in your five star rated "luxury" apartment? 🤷‍♂️

The reviewing process makes it almost impossible to leave an an honest review.

[maninsoma]

Renting someone's apartment versus staying in a hotel is definitely a gamble.  While I have never been entirely disappointed by an Airbnb or VRBO rental, there's always been something that was disappointment.  My best experience was in Los Angeles, near Paramount Studios.  The living room was nice, the kitchen was nice, there was a washer/dryer and dishwasher.  Unfortunately, the bed was just okay -- certainly not as comfortable as a standard hotel bed.  Another apartment had a better bedroom with a more comfortable bed, but two nights out of five we were awakened in the middle of the night due to neighbors setting off fireworks for over an hour.  (This was pre-pandemic; I know that random fireworks that have nothing to do with the 4th of July have become a bigger problem since 2020.)  The worst was a rental on Kauai.  It was basically a converted laundry room behind someone's house; on my approach to the property, I was hoping that I had taken a wrong turn because the front yard looked like a junk yard.  At least it was a tropical destination and I wasn't planning to spend a lot of time at the property anyway, but the place really was one step above a dump.

[Your Man in Arlington]

5 hours ago, maninsoma said:

I read the concern to be more about the potential for blackmail, though, and it doesn't matter if the camera angle is bad or the client is the ugliest man in the world.  If the footage contains recognizable images, someone could attempt to use it to extort money from the client. 

I would worry about this more from a problematic "provider" than the AirBnB host.

[SirBillybob]

I have a few favourite self-cater lodgings that I would not want to compromise. In fact, I don’t ever travel without booking on Airbnb or equivalent platforms. Therefore, the added expense of secondary hotel/motel accommodations exclusively for play dates is worth it in the interests of a version of the golden rule ‘don’t shit where you eat’. There are other advantages in terms of securing valuables, most of which stay in the rented home, what might be going on while using the bathroom, etc.  Hotels don’t post reviews visible to prospective hosts or affect your guest rating. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by SirBillybob

[SirBillybob]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:22 PM, hwic04 said:

I have privacy concerns about meeting an escort at an Airbnb  or similar type rental property. It seems to me that a hotel room or even a well known escort’s home present no risk of cameras or inquisitive neighbors . But at a short term rental neither the escort nor the client can be 100% sure that hidden cameras  are not inside a house.

Am I wrong to have this concern? Am I being paranoid?

Packing your own personal pup tent to use indoors might go some distance to assuage such concerns. Or create a little fort using extra sheets. 

On a serious note I don’t think that checking off any component of an extensive list of factors related to privacy and security reflects paranoia. This brings to mind the adage “just because you are genuinely paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you”. 

I am reminded of the time I took a well known Brazilian gogo to a brothel-adjacent optionally short-let hotel. The lighting is not great and one might randomly get a room with garish green rather than more flattering red bulbs. I carry a small LED with a hook that can hang on the wall, as a solution to the problems of having all or nothing visibility and the risk of depleting smartphone power if its flashlight deployed for same. He checked it out as was appropriate. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by SirBillybob

[+ Pensant]

On 12/4/2023 at 2:05 PM, Luv2play said:

I would never rent an Airbnb for myself as I just prefer the convenience of good hotels and all the amenities they offer.
 

Only recently did I visit an escort at his Airbnb and I had been with him twice before at my hotel in a different city.
When I got to the location I could see it was a corporate situation, not someone’s private apartment. The whole building seemed to be short term rentals. It was in a downtown location and was an old building that was totally renovated with nice two bedroom suites. There was a keypad on the outside of the building that renters used to gain access, So my guy had to come down to let me in.

I imagined they had some kind of camera in the entranceway but did not think they were installed in the bedrooms. In any case we kept the bedroom lights so low to enhance the romantic mood that a camera wouldn’t been able to see me getting fucked. Or so I hope.

I hate this new STR skyscraper model.

[silken_mist]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:22 AM, hwic04 said:

I have privacy concerns about meeting an escort at an Airbnb  or similar type rental property. It seems to me that a hotel room or even a well known escort’s home present no risk of cameras or inquisitive neighbors . But at a short term rental neither the escort nor the client can be 100% sure that hidden cameras  are not inside a house or  that surveillance is not taking place outside a house . Either could compromise privacy in a very big way. I  once called off one appointment with  an escort traveling to my area when I learned the  appointment location was not going to be a hotel.

Am I wrong to have this concern? Am I being paranoid?

For providers:  Do you have the same concerns? When traveling have you opted to save money by choosing a short term rental property rather than a hotel? Or do you have the same privacy concerns I  have?

For clients: Your thoughts/experiences?

Yes I go through the same thing 

But yet and still... I do get recommendations from others 

Hidden cams... damn that sucks bigtime....not paranoid... I  worried about the Same thing...