Airbnb Sued After Guest Secretly Recorded Nude in Vacation Rental Bathroom
Lawsuit Alleges Airbnb Failed to Inspect the Property, Allowed Repeat Host to Record Guests Without Consent
San Diego, CA – A lawsuit has been filed in California Superior Court accusing Airbnb and a San Diego-based property owner of secretly recording a guest in a vacation rental bathroom, sparking concerns over the short-term rental giant’s safety practices.
The lawsuit, brought by a man proceeding under the pseudonym John Roe, alleges that while staying at a property in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, he discovered a hidden camera in the bathroom mirror that had recorded him nude and using the shower and toilet. The rental was advertised and booked entirely through Airbnb, which Roe says failed to properly inspect the property or act on complaints about the same host, Alberto Giuseppe Coppola Hernandez.
“This wasn’t an isolated incident. It was a failure of Airbnb’s entire system of trust and safety,” said founding partner Brett Schreiber at Singleton Schreiber, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiff. “Airbnb knew or should have known that this host was engaging in predatory behavior. They failed to implement and enforce proper policies and procedures to inspect properties and respond to reports and risks. Instead of removing the host or addressing the dangers from the camera that would have been easily detectible upon any reasonable inspection, Airbnb allowed him to continue profiting through their platform and put people at risk.”
The complaint outlines a series of claims against both Hernandez and Airbnb, including negligence, invasion of privacy, sexual harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It also alleges that Airbnb ratified the wrongful conduct by not removing the listing right away and not having clear procedures .
Roe’s attorneys say the emotional toll of the incident has been devastating. “Our client believed he was renting a safe and private space,” said Meagan Verschueren, co-counsel on the case. “Instead, his most intimate moments were recorded and likely shared without his consent. Airbnb has a duty to protect guests from exactly this kind of exploitation.”
The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional and psychological harm, medical expenses, and punitive damages against the homeowner. It also calls attention to broader safety failures across Airbnb’s platform, particularly regarding hidden cameras, house inspections, guest privacy, and inexpensive preventative measures that should always be taken by Airbnb.
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, specializing in mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, and sex abuse/trafficking. Over the last decade, the firm has recovered more than $3 billion for clients who have been harmed and sought justice. The firm also has the largest fire litigation practice in the country, having represented over 30,000 victims of wildfire, most notably serving plaintiffs in litigation related to the 2025 Eaton and Hurst Fires, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire, 2025 Rowena Fire, the Maui wildfires, the Colorado Marshall wildfire, the Washington Gray wildfire, several California wildfires, and others.
