I let guests stay in my empty house (what to think??)

amother

Wed, May 01 2024, 12:27 am

I went away for the whole YT to parents and in-laws (bh very grateful as I have a bunch of kids kah) my neighbor asked if she can put up company in my empty house and I happily said yes. They were using 2 rooms, one guest room and one of my children’s room. The kids room has a camera. As soon as the guests came I got an alert that the kids camera had been disconnected. I would never spy on anyone but I totally understood them. Then the next day all the other camera in the house were disconnected. All the ring door bell cameras the cameras in other bedrooms (on another floor) which weren’t being used. I was trying to be Dan Lkaf zchus and not accuse them of anything but we got home tonight and yes, all the plugs were pulled from the outlet including the main controller. A package went missing on Sunday after they were already gone and I don’t live in the safest area I was freaking out cuz the cameras were off and couldn’t see anything thankfully a neighbor located the package but it’s really bothering me that someone can just tamper with others belonging like that without asking .. I know there isn’t really anything to do I guess I’m just venting or looking for insite …

amother

Mint

Wed, May 01 2024, 12:30 am

amother OP wrote:

I went away for the whole YT to parents and in-laws (bh very grateful as I have a bunch of kids kah) my neighbor asked if she can put up company in my empty house and I happily said yes. They were using 2 rooms, one guest room and one of my children’s room. The kids room has a camera. As soon as the guests came I got an alert that the kids camera had been disconnected. I would never spy on anyone but I totally understood them. Then the next day all the other camera in the house were disconnected. All the doors and the other bedrooms (on anything floor) which weren’t being used. I was trying to be Dan Lkaf zchus and not accuse them of anything but we got home tonight and yes, all the plugs were pulled from the outlet including the main controller. A package went missing on Sunday after they were already gone and I don’t live in the safest area I was freaking out cuz the cameras were off and couldn’t see anything thankfully a neighbor located the package but it’s really bothering me that someone can just tamper with others belonging like that without asking .. I know there isn’t really anything to do I guess I’m just venting or looking for insite …

I’m sorry you were so violated :-( this is one of the reasons we only let specific people stay in our house when we aren’t home.
Regarding the cameras, could it be they thought they were motion sensors, rather than cameras?

DrMom

Wed, May 01 2024, 12:34 am

- You should have told them that security cameras would be filming their every move before letting them stay in your home.

-. They should have asked you before unplugging the cameras (maybe they thought it was a problem on shabbat/YT, or maybe they just didn't want to be recorded).

- There is no reason why they should have touched the cameras in the rooms they were not supposed to have been using.

Did you ask them why they did this?

amother

Mint

Wed, May 01 2024, 12:43 am

amother OP wrote:

Sorry I edited for clarity. I don’t have this couples numbers. I was dealing with the person who was hosting them for YT. I don’t want to ask her cuz she’s an extremely sensitive person and if she senses anything is off she’ll be overly apologetic and it’s not her fault..

I don’t think you need to say anything to her. As you said, it wasn’t her fault. But from now on, if you have people stay in your house while you are away, you need to let them or the people hosting them know what to expect, and what you expect.

amother

Wed, May 01 2024, 12:49 am

I agree I could have pulled the plug In the children bedroom that they were using.. but to disarm the ring doorbell is taking it too far in my opinion. Door bell cameras are completely standard where I live I believe every single home on the block has one. There really isn’t a need for a disclaimer… and there rest of the home doesn’t have cameras I don’t have them anywhere on the main floor just the other kids room which as I mentioned they disabled too …

amother

Lemonchiffon

Wed, May 01 2024, 1:03 am

Off topic but I'm always amazed at people who are okay with strangers staying in their house while they're not there. I would never do it. I've heard too many horror stories. Plus I'm a private person and finicky with cleanliness so I wouldn't trust that the strangers would respect my privacy or level of cleanliness. But I admire you so much for doing this Mitzva. I'm thinking that they may have thought cameras need to be unplugged for Shabbos /yom tov but they should've asked.

tichellady

Wed, May 01 2024, 1:08 am

amother Lemonchiffon wrote:

We host people when we go away but needs to have someone who can vouch for them who we are able to communicate well with. If I can’t have a conversation with them without worrying about offending them then I’m not gonna host their guests

tichellady

Wed, May 01 2024, 1:09 am

amother OP wrote:

It’s for sure weird to disarm the doorbell camera. Is it possible you lost power

amother

Moccasin

Wed, May 01 2024, 1:20 am

amother Tangerine wrote:

I once unplugged a camera in a house in a room I wasn’t staying in, because we might have popped into the room to get something etc and I didn’t want to be recorded. We were paying to use the house though.

You had no right stepping in to a room you weren't supposed to, unless you had permission from the hosts. Unplugging the camera, is just chutzpah.

amother

Chocolate

Wed, May 01 2024, 1:24 am

Many people don’t want to walk past cameras on shabbos because it activates motion detection. It’s a more machmir way. A ring doorbell is a real problem although many poskim allow it.
Also, it could be that they needed outlets to charge their phones etc.
I would be horrified if I found a camera in a bedroom when staying in someone’s house.

amother

Moccasin

Wed, May 01 2024, 1:31 am

amother Chocolate wrote:

OP said that they disconnected cameras in rooms & on the floor they weren't supposed to be using. That's just bizarre and inappropriate of the guests.
They should have checked with her before unplugging any cameras in general.

B'Syata D'Shmya

Wed, May 01 2024, 1:57 am

amother OP wrote:

I would have told them from the get-go that I have cameras for security reasons and have disconnected the rooms they are sleeping in. If you hadnt warned them, they may have felt spied on.
Honestly if I were put in a place with cameras, I would have called the owners and asked them to disconnect in sleeping rooms. Or ask my hostess to do so. Its disconcerting.

For them to disconnect the whole thing without telling you is wrong. At least they should have told you and reconnected before they left.

amother

Midnight

Wed, May 01 2024, 2:13 am

They probably unplugged the main doorbell one as an accident. They realized you left a recording device on in their bedroom and got justifiably creeped out and just unplugged whatever devices they found in the house so they wouldnt feel spied on not realizing they also unplugged the main entrance.

I dont think thats wrong. Throw tomatoes. I think its wrong to keep cameras running and not tell people. Dont host if you dont want to unplug the cameras or forget to tell people. Its such a violation of privacy. What if the couple was intimate and your cameras were running. What if they were getting dressed? Switching out a tampon? Im shocked you left a camera running in their bedroom.