Smart home device usage in short-term rentals: Hosts’ and guests’ perspectives on smart short-term rental privacy

Introduction:

This study explores how multiple stakeholders interact in smart environments, focusing on the usage of smart home devices (SHDs) in short-term rental (STR) context (e.g., Airbnb, Vrbo). The first study (under submission to Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security) interviews STR hosts about their usage of SHDs (e.g., types of devices and location), management practices (e.g., account, data), and communication (i.e., disclosure). We found that STR hosts use SHDs for entertainment and safety/security purposes in various locations of their properties. Concerning usages were smart speakers in bedrooms and smart cameras in living rooms (now banned by Airbnb). We also found that STR hosts rarely, if ever, manage SHD data (e.g., reviewing and deleting). Lastly, we found that our participants disclose smart cameras via multiple channels (e.g., description, message), but do not disclose other devices. We identify STR platforms’ insufficient guidelines as a fundamental problem to hosts’ lack of consideration of guests’ privacy, and therefore suggest ways to improve guidelines for disclosure, management, and communication.

We are currently conducting a follow-up interview study with guests about their experiences and expectations of SHD usage in STRs. Broadly, we ask guests’ interactions and reactions with SHDs in STRs, regarding privacy concerns. We mirror the first study by asking guests’ experiences and expectations about hosts’ management of SHDs, including disclosure and account/data management. Through this study, in combination with the first, we expect to identify the norms of SHD usage in STRs (e.g., what devices are appropriate to use in STRs, where, and why). We hope to identify points of intervention to protect guests’ privacy (e.g., disclosure guidelines, privacy design features, facilitating communication).