Cameras in hotels and holiday rentals: what you can record and how to tell guests (Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, 2026)

Updated: 10 November 2026

A badly placed camera can cost you your listing, a fine and your guests' trust. We read the Airbnb and Booking.com rules, the European guidelines, Spanish law and the Spanish DPA's guide, and what the Italian Garante, Portuguese law and the Greek authority say (links at the end). Where we could not confirm something we say so. This is not legal advice: check with your adviser.

Airbnb: no indoor cameras since 30 April 2024

Airbnb's official help page on cameras and other devices:

Security cameras and recording devices that monitor any part of the interior are banned, even if turned off or disconnected.
Hidden cameras are always banned.
Exterior cameras are allowed if their location is disclosed in the listing description.
Never over outdoor spaces with more privacy, such as an enclosed outdoor shower or a sauna.
Noise decibel monitors (no audio recording): allowed if you disclose them, but never in bedrooms, bathrooms or sleeping areas.

Booking.com: nothing in guests' private areas

Booking.com Partner Hub, requirements for surveillance devices:

Banned in areas rented exclusively by guests and where they expect privacy: changing rooms, toilets, showers, spas, saunas and shared hostel dormitories.
No secret recording devices.
Devices outside or in common areas are disclosed in the extranet: Property > Facilities & Services > Safety & Security.
It recommends telling guests before arrival, for example through guest chat.
Decibel monitors and video doorbells with microphones count too.

GDPR: what the European guidelines say

European Data Protection Board Guidelines 3/2019:

If the camera films the street, it is no longer household use and the GDPR applies.
Delete footage after a few days, ideally automatically; more than 72 hours needs stronger justification.
A sign before entry at eye level: who the controller is, the purpose, your rights and where to read more.
Switch off functions you do not need, such as audio.
Monitoring toilets or saunas is disproportionate.

Spain: data protection act, art. 22, and the AEPD

Organic Law 3/2018 (BOE) and the AEPD's CCTV fact sheets and guide:

Public street: only what is essential for security.
Delete within one month at most, unless needed as evidence of an offence; then hand it to the authorities within 72 hours.
A visible sign at the entrances: that there are cameras, who the controller is and how to exercise rights. The AEPD offers a template.
Never in toilets, changing rooms or similar places.
We found no AEPD guidance specific to holiday rentals.

Italy: the Garante

Provvedimento of 8 April 2010 (partly superseded by the GDPR) and the Garante's FAQ:

No authorisation from the Garante is needed.
A sign before entering the monitored area, visible at night too.
Delete after a few days; more than 72 hours needs stronger justification.
Filming public areas or passageways is forbidden; the angle covers your own property only.
We found no specific Italian rule on audio.

Portugal: Law 58/2019, art. 19

No public roads or neighbouring property, except what is strictly necessary to cover the entrances.
Never inside customer areas where privacy applies: toilets, waiting areas, changing rooms.
Nor areas reserved for staff (canteen, changing rooms, rest areas).
Sound recording is banned, except when the premises are closed or with prior CNPD authorisation.
We did not read the retention period (art. 31 of Law 34/2013).

Greece: the Hellenic Data Protection Authority

The Greek authority's page for CCTV controllers:

The GDPR and the authority's Directive 1/2011 apply; no prior licence is needed any more.
Visible signs that the area is monitored.
Retention of 15 days at most, in principle.
Sound recording not allowed except in very exceptional cases.
Never toilets, changing rooms or showers; no streets or pavements. We did not read the specific hotel rules (art. 17).

What to do (good practice)

Never cameras in rooms, bathrooms or sleeping areas. In a holiday rental, nothing indoors.
Tell guests before they book: in the listing, on your website and in the confirmation.
A sign at the entrance, before the recorded area.
Keep footage briefly and delete automatically.
No audio: a camera that records voices is a bigger risk.
Point it at your entrance only, not the street or the neighbours.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I have a camera in the living room of my holiday rental?

Not on Airbnb: since 30 April 2024 it bans any indoor camera, even if turned off. On Booking.com, not in areas rented exclusively by guests.

How long can I keep footage in Spain?

One month at most, unless it is evidence of an offence (Organic Law 3/2018, art. 22.3).

Do I need a sign?

Yes. European guidelines and national rules require a visible sign before the monitored area, naming the controller.

Sources

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