I would go buy a voltage detector and a screw driver. Cut it off at the breaker and unscrew the receptacle and see if there are wires. Landlords are not allowed to have cameras where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. If you find it is a real camera its law suit time and time to move.
Put a piece of furniture in front of it for now. And if it ends up being a camera - I’d just assume that is not the only camera, I’d also be going over the bedroom & bathroom light fixtures and baseboards. Medicine cabinet, ceiling fan etc…
Outlets are very easy to install and remove. Shut your breaker and unscrew it mounts and pull it out. It will have a model number on its backside. Power wires are only screw tightened. As long as your breaker is shut, it’s safe to touch those wires. Watch a how too video first to get more familiar but you can do this with a basic screwdriver. No need to call electrician just for pulling out an outlet.
After it’s out you can inspect it better and either put it back in or put in a different one to be safe.
If the outlet isn’t working, it may have been tripped. Push the reset button (you have to push hard) until it clicks and the green light on the right side turns on.
Tell the police ASAP, don’t tell your landlord because it’s probably theirs. Start looking for other living arrangements.
Oh, wow. If cameras are confirmed, there might be other hidden cameras in places you don’t suspect. Don’t just put tape over it; get the authorities involved. This is criminal behavior.
Just plug something into it and leave it if you are worried until you can get it checked out. It looks like a GFCI outlet and may need to be reset. Get an outlet tester, with GFCI test and test the outlet. Common ways to thwart this seem like having something that would naturally be plugged into that outlet and be left in place. If you want to pull the outlet and check behind it, please make sure you are comfortable with electrical work. If the GFCI is tripped the “hot” wires behind it will still have power and if you touch an uninsulated part you may be shocked. Since you mention another outlet in the bathroom and GFCI are required for kitchens and bathrooms, I assume this one is in the kitchen. Nice tile backsplash.
Looks like a standard gfci outlet. Are you normally paranoid ?
You can use a butter knife to unscrew it and confirm but if there’s power there and you touch the conductors you will get shocked.
Do you have a trusted adult that can help you ?
@Keagan
Is it normal for these outlets to reflect light like that? I was not very paranoid, but the light reflection worried me. I noticed it while attempting to get the outlet to work.
Raven said:
@Keagan
Is it normal for these outlets to reflect light like that? I was not very paranoid, but the light reflection worried me. I noticed it while attempting to get the outlet to work.
Looks like a glass lense in there.
@Keagan
There’s a reset button on it. Try pressing it.
GFCI outlet. Required for your safety. If you are worried about cameras anywhere, simply hang a piece of paper or cloth in front of them.