Under what circumstance can hotel staff consent to search a guest's room?

• A. Always
• B. Only if the guest has checked out
• C. Only if the guest signs a consent form
• D. Never

Answer: (B)

The key idea is privacy rights tied to occupancy. A guest in a hotel room has a reasonable expectation of privacy while they’re staying there, so hotel staff generally can’t search the room or consent to a search on behalf of the guest unless the guest themselves agrees or law enforcement has a proper warrant.

Once the guest has checked out, that privacy interest ends for that room. The space becomes hotel property again, and staff can access or inspect the room as part of preparing it for the next guest, without needing the former guest’s consent. That’s why the circumstance that allows staff to consent to a search is when the guest has checked out.