I found a hidden camera in a homestay, hostel or rented room

Plain-language help for ordinary people. General information, not legal advice. Helplines, portals and screen names were checked against official Government and regulator pages on 1 November 2026. Portals change: if a screen looks different, follow the words on the screen and the official guide linked in each step.

"There was a small device in the smoke detector facing the bed. I am shaking. What do I do?"

This is a crime. Keep the device in place for the police, leave the room if you feel unsafe, and report it to the booking platform.

Safety first. Threatened or in danger: call 181 (women) or go to the nearest police station. Lost money: call 1930 at once.

Not legal advice. This page explains the rules in plain words so you can act. Consult a lawyer before you sue anyone or send a legal notice. Laws and portals change; check the linked official source.

Step 1: stay safe and find out who it is

1. Leave the room if you feel unsafe.
2. Do not confront the owner alone.
3. Photograph the device without touching it.

If it is genuine: hold the company accountable

Which rules this may break

• BNS section 77 (voyeurism).
• IT Act section 66E (violation of privacy).
• IT Rules, 2021: 2 hour removal for intimate images.

What the company must do, and by when

• Cooperate with the police and preserve records.
• Remove the host or listing while police investigate (if booked through a platform).

Letter 1: ask them to confirm who the caller is

Send it through the official channel. Keep a copy and the acknowledgement.

To: The Grievance Officer, The Owner or Manager, [Property name]
Subject: Please confirm whether this person works for you

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am your customer. My booking ID: [number].

On [date] at [time] I received a call or message from [phone number]. This is not an official number. The person said they were [name], [role or employee ID], from the property. They knew my [list the details they knew].

Please confirm in writing within 7 days:
1. Whether this person is your employee, agent, host, staff member, booking platform or partner.
2. If yes, their name, role and the agency they work for.
3. Whether you allow staff or agents to contact customers from personal numbers.
4. If they are not connected with you, please say so, so I can report the number.

Name:
Registered mobile number:
Date:

Letter 2: ask how your data got there

To: The Grievance Officer, The Owner or Manager, [Property name]
Subject: How did my personal data reach a personal phone? Complaint number [if any]

Dear Sir or Madam,

On [date] a person connected with you, [name if known], contacted me from a personal number [number] and knew my [details]. [Describe what they did.]

Please tell me in writing:
1. What personal data about me this person could see, and through which system or app.
2. Whether you shared my data with any agency, host, staff member, booking platform, partner or processor, and their names.
3. How my data reached a personal phone or account outside your official systems.
4. What action you have taken against the person or agency, including suspension while you investigate.
5. What you have done to stop this happening again.
6. The CCTV and access records for my room for my stay.
Capturing or sharing images of a person's private area without consent is an offence under IT Act section 66E. Watching or capturing a woman in a private act is voyeurism under BNS section 77.

From 13 May 2027, sections 8 and 11 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 also apply.

Please reply within 7 days. If I do not hear from you, I will escalate to the police and the booking platform's grievance officer.

Name:
Registered mobile number:
Date:

Evidence to keep

• Photos and video of the device in place.
• Booking confirmation and payment proof.
• Names of staff or host you dealt with.
• The FIR or police acknowledgement.

More in the evidence checklist.

Can you sue? What realistically happens

• Consumer Commission: the most practical route for compensation. Cheap, no lawyer needed, file within 2 years.
• IT Act section 43A (until 13 May 2027): if the company was negligent with sensitive personal data (passwords, bank or card details, health records, biometrics) and that caused wrongful loss or gain, it must pay compensation. Claims up to Rs 5 crore go to your State's IT Secretary acting as Adjudicating Officer (section 46); larger claims go to a court. Appeal within 45 days (section 57). Your phone number and address alone are not sensitive data under the 2011 Rules.
• Civil suit for damages: possible, but slow and costly. Section 61 of the IT Act bars civil courts from matters the Adjudicating Officer can decide.
• Police: only where there is a crime, for example a person who disclosed your information in breach of a contract to cause wrongful loss or gain (IT Act section 72A, up to 3 years), identity theft (66C), cheating by impersonation (66D), stalking or threats.
• Realistic outcome: most people get results from a firm written complaint and the regulator or ombudsman. Courts take years. Consult a lawyer before suing.

From 13 May 2027: the Data Protection Board

From 13 May 2027 the DPDP Act's duties apply. The company is responsible for processing done by it or by anyone processing on its behalf (section 8(1)), may use a processor only under a valid contract (section 8(2)), must protect your data with reasonable security safeguards (section 8(5)), and must tell you and the Board about a breach (section 8(6)). It may use your data only for the lawful purpose you agreed to (sections 4 to 6). Section 44(2) removes IT Act section 43A from that date. Complain to the company first; if it does not resolve it, complain to the Data Protection Board. The Board can impose penalties up to Rs 250 crore, but penalties go to the Government (the Consolidated Fund of India, section 34), not to you. For money, use the ombudsman or the Consumer Commission. Appeals from the Board go to TDSAT within 60 days (section 29).

If it is fake: urgent steps

1. If someone later messages you with images and demands money, do not pay; report on cybercrime.gov.in and call 1930.

Step by step guides:

Related guides

• Travel: airlines, trains, hotels and booking sites Bookings, ID copies at hotels, Digi Yatra, fake helplines and complaints.
• Property portals, brokers, landlords and rentals Broker calls after one enquiry, listings posted without consent, fake rentals, landlords and hidden cameras.

See also when a platform shares your data with a third party and the escalation ladder.

Official sources

Checked on 1 November 2026. Company pages are labelled as the company's own words.

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, section 77: voyeurism (India Code)
• IT Act, 2000, section 66E: violation of privacy (India Code)
• IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, as amended up to 10 February 2026
• Ministry of Women and Child Development: Women Helpline 181
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: FAQ