Donna and Raymond Nunn, aged 62 and 87, abandoned a holiday rental in the Lavapiés neighborhood of Madrid after discovering a camera pointed directly at their bed during their 39th wedding anniversary trip.
The couple, who reside in Spain, checked into the Airbnb apartment on August 3, 2026. Upon arrival, they noticed a device in the living room facing the front entrance door, which they interpreted as a motion sensor. Because it displayed no light, they paid no further attention to it.
The device in the bedroom went unnoticed until the next day, August 4, after the pair had already spent one night at the property. While Donna was out visiting the city, Raymond, who has reduced mobility, stayed inside the apartment and noticed that the device, located in a corner and pointed toward the bed, was emitting a flashing green light.
Donna stated that the light was not on when they arrived and suggested that the unit could be turned on and off remotely. She described the device as a camera about ten centimeters long and explained that both of them felt they were being watched from that moment on.
Discovery of the device and departure
The couple contacted Airbnb on August 4 to report what happened. Donna said both of them were shaking when they realized the situation and reached out to the company, which advised them to leave the apartment immediately. She noted that the recommendation to leave as soon as possible only increased their anxiety.
According to reporting by Mirror, the couple ended up spending that night in the apartment because it was already 8:00 p.m. and they could not find another option in time. They left the Airbnb property on August 5, 2026, two days after arriving in Madrid.
Donna explained that they managed to book another place a couple of hours away, which was fine, but meant they could not finish their sightseeing trips. She added that it was a shame because they would never return to Madrid due to the incident.
Airbnb response and policy investigation
According to information provided by Mirror, Airbnb removed the listing from its platform and issued a full refund for both the initial reservation and the second booking the couple made. The company also suspended the accommodation while reviewing what occurred.
An Airbnb spokesperson confirmed the measures taken, stating that the company had issued a full refund to the guest and suspended the listing while carrying out an additional investigation into the matter. The spokesperson recalled that since 2024, Airbnb prohibits any security camera installed inside accommodations, regardless of its location or whether it remains turned off during a stay.
Airbnb specified that when a violation of its security camera policy is detected, it can remove both the listing and the responsible user from the platform, adding that its investigation into the property remains open. It has not been specified whether the case was reported to the police, and no statement from the host regarding the existence or operation of the devices is available.
