Woman finds alleged spy cam in Airbnb bedroom
It was a nightmare-bnb.
A woman jumped out of her skin after she allegedly discovered a camera in the bedroom of a Florida apartment that she’d rented via Airbnb.
A video detailing the alleged spine-tingling find has almost 12.1 million views on TikTok, with viewers wondering if the owners were spying on people in bed.
“I tried to stay calm so we weren’t losing our minds … but I was scared,” Katelyn Boss, 22, told Jam Press of the incident, which occurred in June while she was staying in Miami with her friend Rachel Horman, also 22.
“We ban hidden cameras and have been supporting the guest as we investigate this allegation,” Airbnb told The Post in an emailed statement.
She and Horman had reportedly used Airbnb to book a stay in the city so they could research properties there, as they were planning to move to the area.
Their real estate recon went south after Horman reportedly discovered something sinister in the slumber quarters.
![Katelyn Boss.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013531626.jpg?w=528)
“I was out on a date while Rachel stayed at home in the Airbnb,” Boss recalled. “She was changing in front of the mirror and looked up and saw it [the camera] in the light[bulb].”
The social media manager added, “My friend freaked out and called everyone she knew, but when she called me, I thought she was being overdramatic.”
After her roommate kept calling, the exasperated Boss returned home to reassure her friend that it wasn’t a hidden camera, only to be similarly shocked by the alleged lightbulb cam.
“When I saw it in person, it looked like a camera,” recounted the aghast gal, who was petrified by the find. “The camera was facing directly at the mirror, meaning you could see anything and everything we did.”
![A still from the video of Boss and Horman's relocation to a different Airbnb.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013531623.jpg?w=529)
The aforementioned clip shows the supposed cam, which is situated in the socket of a bulbless light fixture. In the footage, Horman can be heard dialing 911.
“Hi, we think our Airbnb has hidden cameras,” she says in the clip. “And I feel like I’m being watched and I just do not feel safe in my Airbnb.”
The clip concludes with the officers arriving and inspecting the supposed spycam — although one of the cops was initially skeptical.
“The officer seemed annoyed to help us — we must’ve come across as some dumb, young blonds being overdramatic,” she recalled. “But then, another officer was very kind and agreed that there was a high possibility of it being a camera.”
Boss continued, “After we explained why we called them, they were very helpful and kind.”
![The alleged recording device.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013531613.jpg?w=531)
The existence of a recording device has not yet been confirmed and there was no further police action following the inspection.
The video divided TikTok, with some viewers believing the device was indeed meant for peeping on sleepers.
“Omg update us pls!!” said one commenter. “Can clearly see the lens in that.”
Another wrote, “That is definitely a camera.”
“Not me just leaving my Airbnb in Florida,” said a third.
![Rachel Horman.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013531605.jpg?w=530)
However, others were skeptical, with one critic scoffing, “That’s a literal light socket and wires are you serious.”
“Electrician here, it wasn’t a camera,” declared another. “Just an empty fixture.”
Other detractors ripped the duo for calling 911 over something that may or may not have been a recording device.
Airbnb does not permit “intentionally concealed recording devices (such as hidden security cameras),” per the site.
The company also expressly prohibits “security cameras or recording devices that are in or that observe private spaces like bedrooms, bathrooms, or sleeping areas.”
![A policeman inspects the alleged lightbulb camera.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013531615.jpg?w=527)
Boss and Horman have reportedly since contacted the rental firm’s safety team, who are reportedly “investigating this allegation,” according to a company spokesperson.
The duo have since been refunded in full and were relocated to a different property for seven nights, which they toured in a follow-up video.
“The week was good, but it was so unfortunate because we had nowhere to stay for the remaining weeks,” lamented Boss, who is still convinced the object was a concealed camera.
“Looking back, I think this was very traumatizing. We live in a sick world and I’m not even surprised,” she lamented. “Airbnb is very convenient and it’s a shame that we had this experience.”
The traumatized woman added that she’d probably only Airbnb again if with a group.
![Horman.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/NYPICHPDPICT000013531606.jpg?w=532)
“I’d rather stay in a hotel with security,” said Boss, adding that she also bought “a camera detector and I’m bringing it with me everywhere I go.”
In a similar alleged incident in 2022, a terrified couple reported an Airbnb owner to police after allegedly finding a hidden camera inside their beachfront rental in Brazil.