A bizarre device that a landlord has installed in their tenant’s home has sparked speculation among viewers on social media.

The tenant had taken to Reddit on June 16 under u/Resident-Stage-3759 to share a short video of the device, which some viewers have said looks eerily similar to a camera. The post has been upvoted more than 19,000 times to date, with more than 2,200 comments.

“My landlord installed this light that can’t be turned on or off that is always on,” the tenant said in the post. “What’s the circle on top of it.

“The light also weirdly ONLY turns off when I point my phone camera right at it,” the post added.

Accompanying the text was a short video of the light that had been drilled into the wall. The circle, which resembled a camera lens, sat above the light.

Viewers on Reddit have been quick to share their opinions on whether the device is really a light, and what the landlord may have been trying to achieve.

“Others saying it’s a sensor but totally understandable to think it looks like a lens,” one viewer said. “Which room did they install it in? Also, what power supply is it connected to and can you isolate the fuse to switch it off?

“Not recommending you try to turn it off, just wondered if you have access to the electrical supply for your place,” the viewer added.

“It is in the staircase area,” the tenant responded. “I do have access to the supply for the house. I’m the only one there right now.

“If I could find that I would prefer to have it off actually.”

The tenant later added that the lens-like circle above the light is most likely a “dusk to dawn” sensor, but that they will be taping it anyway for their own peace of mind.

“It works with sunlight,” one viewer, who agreed that it may be a sensor, said. “There’s no sunlight indoors so it’s always on.

“It is a photocell!” the viewer added.

“I believe this is correct,” another posted, to much agreement. “Shine a flashlight on it for a bit to see if it turns off.”

“If it’s a photo cell then where are the squiggly lines across the surface and why does it have so many concentric circles? Looks like a lens to me,” one viewer said, less convinced.

“This looks like a straight-up camera to me,” another agreed.

Newsweek reached out to u/resident-stage-3759 for more information via Reddit.

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