Comment by reverend_gonzo | Hacker News Reader

Comment by reverend_gonzo | Hacker News Reader

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I'm going to second what achenatx said.

- Having smart locks means I don't have to give out keys, and I can change lock codes remotely.

- Having a smart thermostat means not only can I change it remotely (once they've checked or to prepare it before checking in), but I also get notified of when the HVAC isn't working. (For example, the ecobee will email you if it's been heating for a couple of hours and the temperature has dropped). This is absolutely necessary in climates with periods of extreme cold as that can cause burst pipes, which then damage everything.

- Smart smoke detectors, CO2 detectors can notify you of problems that you won't otherwise find out about in a timely manner, given you're not at the location.

- Sensors that detect flooding. We have a condo that has been flooded by upstairs tenants. Putting a moisture detector between the walls means we get notified of a small problem before it becomes a huge problem.

I think having a smart home is even more important for a property that you don't live at then one where you do.

Actively telling guests "We don't have hidden cameras" has got to be extremely off-putting. There is not a huge problem with hidden cameras. Just fine/arrest/ban the hosts who actually do it, given evidence that it is them doing it.

Something I discovered when working in technology is that anyone who said "just do ___" in a planning meeting was either brilliant, or drastically underestimated the scope of a task. Either way, the solution was the same. If you're the only person in the room who thinks a task is easy, you're assigned to that task.

How exactly do you plan to find identify all the hosts who do this?

Random spot checks using equipment to scope out for bugs. Some of that stuff is easily available to buy.

If it's such a big problem offer a small bounty and watch people do it for you.

Wouldn't that just incentivize tenants to plant cameras on properties and claim that the landlord put it there? I agree with Ken that this isn't a simple problem to solve.

Retrieving the camera by authorities would show any footage.

But what's stopping tenants planting cameras now? No risk to them really. Plant the camera, hook it up to the wifi and power. Now you can see everyone who stays. If the camera gets found, the landlord takes the risk.

Who is to say all these cameras we think from the landlord really are from tenants who know they can get away with.

Yes, I agree, the more you think about it, the more complex it appears and harder to solve.

One of the producers I used to work with would double the price for any one that said ‘just’ when describing the project. To him, anyone using ‘just’ was evidence they really had no understanding of what we had to do thereby grossly undervaluing the amount of work on our end.

>> Just fine/arrest/ban the hosts who actually do it, given evidence that it is them doing it.

The Federal voyeurism act of 2004 made it illegal in the US to record video of someone without their consent when that person had a reasonable expectation of privacy [0]. Fines and up to one year in prison.

But I don't know of any actual convictions.

I bet if this happens in some jurisdiction with a politically ambitious prosecutor and the host were recording children then it will blow up.

[0]: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/108/s1301/text

Apologies for my pet peeve, but it's CO, not CO2....

Not necessarily - CO2 detectors are readily available. It's interesting to see how tired you get as CO2 rises.

That's not the sort of thing you care about learning in a "timely manner" if you're "not at the location".

> Actively telling guests "We don't have hidden cameras" has got to be extremely off-putting

It reminds me of, when I've been road-tripping, seeing billboards advertising "clean restrooms." I never know what to do with that info - trust it? Be more cautious of other places that don't advertise the cleanliness of their restrooms?

I guess, but that could make for a long trip through a supermarket cogitating over the ripe fruit, delicious vegetables and tasty snacks.

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