Security Cameras for Apartments and Units

What worries apartment owners and renters

You share walls, corridors, lifts and car parks with strangers. Parcels go missing from the hallway. Someone tailgates through the secure door. And what you control is only a small part of the building.

That last point matters. In a strata or rental building, you usually cannot point a camera at common property, and you may need permission before you fix anything to a wall or balcony. We start there, not at the hardware.

Where cameras can go

For most apartments, the sensible places are inside your own boundary.

• Inside the front door. A camera looking at your entry area, or a compatible video doorbell setup, covers who comes in.
• Balcony or courtyard. A camera aimed at the sliding door and the outdoor space, where it does not look into a neighbour's balcony.
• Your car space or storage cage. Only where you own or have the right to use the area, and with permission from the body corporate.

Cabling is the tricky part in a unit. Where drilling through a common wall is not allowed, we talk through alternatives before quoting. If your building already has cameras in shared areas, those are run by the body corporate. Our page on body corporate and common areas covers that side of things.

What AI detection offers

Apartment alerts get noisy when a camera sees a corridor. On compatible systems, human detection helps your phone stay quiet for movement that is not a person.

An intrusion zone could be drawn over your balcony door, so you are told if a person enters that area while you are away. A tripwire line across a small entry hall can flag someone crossing it. These features depend on the camera and recorder, and AI features vary. Entry-level systems may offer basic motion detection only.

Intelligent search, on compatible systems, helps you find people at your door after a missing parcel, instead of watching a full day of footage.

Using DMSS in an apartment

We set up DMSS on your phone and walk you through live view, playback and alerts. DMSS can also share access with a partner, flatmate or parent.

Remote access is set up securely through DMSS and sensible network configuration. We check your internet service at the start.

Plan for these things

Permissions. Check your lease or strata by-laws before anything is installed. Renters need the landlord's consent. Owners may need committee approval for anything that touches common property.

Lighting. Corridors and entries are often dim or very bright against a dark room. Tell us about this. Camera choice can help with backlit scenes, and some cameras manage this better than others.

Network. Wired is steadier than wifi where possible. If a cable run is not possible, we discuss options, including their limits.

Storage. A small system may record to a single surveillance drive in a compact recorder. We size it around the number of cameras, quality and the number of days you want.

Privacy and signage. Do not aim a camera at a neighbour's door, window or balcony, or at shared hallways. Audio is treated more strictly than video. Rules differ by state and territory. This is general information, not legal advice, so check your own state's rules and your building's by-laws.

Entry-level versus higher-end. A basic setup gives you recording and motion alerts. Higher-end gear can offer richer AI detection and better low-light images.

Getting started

Our buying guides suit first-time buyers. When you are ready, contact us.

Frequently asked questions