Landlord Security Cameras: What You Can Legally Record

Landlord security cameras at a rental can deter package theft, document damage and help you respond to a break-in, but a camera is also a recording device pointed at people's homes. A landlord who records the wrong place, or records sound, can turn a safety measure into a lawsuit or a criminal complaint. This guide explains what landlords can generally record on a rental property, where the line sits between common areas and private space, how audio recording laws change the answer, and how to write a camera policy you can defend. If you are building the rest of your compliance system, start at our compliance and legal hub for independent landlords and small property managers.

Note: This article is general education, not legal advice. Surveillance, recording and privacy laws vary by state and municipality and change over time, and the examples below are not a complete list. Consult a local attorney before installing cameras or adopting a recording policy.

The core test: expectation of privacy

Most of the law in this area turns on whether the people being recorded have a reasonable expectation of privacy where the camera points. The test is practical, and it divides a rental property into three zones:

Exterior and public-facing areas. Building entrances, parking lots, driveways, walkways and the outside of the building are generally the lowest privacy areas, and cameras there are common. Keep them aimed at your own property rather than into neighbors' windows or yards.
Shared interior areas. Lobbies, hallways, stairwells, laundry rooms and mailrooms are usually treated as common areas where cameras can be placed with more care. People expect to be seen there, but not to be listened to, and local rules may add limits.
Inside a rented unit. A tenant's home is private. Once a unit is leased, your right to enter is limited, and a camera inside it is almost always a bad idea.

The first two zones are general rules of thumb, not statutes, so check local law. For the third zone and for the most sensitive rooms, the statutes are specific.

Never in bathrooms or bedrooms

Do not place a camera in any bathroom, bedroom, changing area or similar private space, even in a vacant unit you plan to rent, and even if the tenant never finds out. Several states make this a crime, and the statutes name the rooms:

California. Penal Code section 647(j) covers anyone who views, by means including a camera or mobile phone, the interior of a bedroom, bathroom, changing room, fitting room, dressing room or tanning booth, or any other area where the occupant has a reasonable expectation of privacy, with intent to invade the privacy of the people inside.
Texas. Penal Code section 21.15 makes it an offense to photograph or record another person in a bathroom or changing room without consent and with intent to invade privacy, and it is a state jail felony. Under subsection (e), a posted sign saying recording is happening is not sufficient to establish consent for that offense.
New York. Penal Law section 250.45 covers using or installing an imaging device to surreptitiously view or record a person in a bedroom, changing room, fitting room, restroom, toilet, bathroom, washroom or shower, without the person's knowledge or consent, for no legitimate purpose.

The Texas sign rule is the lesson for every landlord: a notice does not turn a prohibited recording into a lawful one. The safest policy is no cameras inside any dwelling unit, with no exceptions for vacant units that will soon be occupied.

Audio recording is a bigger risk than video

Many landlords focus on video and overlook sound. Recording audio can bring wiretap or eavesdropping laws into play, and those laws are stricter than video rules. Many cameras record audio by default, so turn that setting off unless you have confirmed it is lawful.

At the federal level, the Wiretap Act at 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d) makes it lawful for a person not acting under government authority to intercept a communication when that person is a party to it or when one party has given prior consent, unless it is done to commit a crime or tort. The Act defines a protected oral communication as one uttered with an expectation that it is not subject to interception, under circumstances justifying that expectation (18 U.S.C. 2510(2)). A hallway camera that captures a conversation between two tenants, to which you are not a party and which neither consented to record, is the situation to avoid.

States then add their own rules, and they split into one-party and all-party consent:

State	Consent rule	What it means for a camera with a microphone
Federal	One-party consent, 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d)	You are lawful as a participant, but a camera recording conversations between others is not covered by that exception.
Texas	One-party consent, Penal Code 16.02(c)(4)	Allowed for a party or with one party's prior consent, unless done to commit an unlawful act. Still not a license to record conversations you are not part of.
California	All-party consent for confidential communications, Penal Code 632	Recording a confidential communication without all parties' consent can bring a fine up to $2,500 per violation or jail time of up to a year.
Florida	All-party consent, Fla. Stat. 934.03	It is lawful to intercept a communication when all of the parties have given prior consent.

Because these laws differ by state, the simplest rule is to record video only in exterior and common areas and disable audio on every camera. If you believe you need audio, get a local attorney's sign-off first.

Disclose cameras in the lease and with signage

Even where the law does not require notice, disclosure protects you. It sets expectations, supports a legitimate-purpose argument, and prevents the surprise that drives most complaints. A strong disclosure has two parts:

In the lease or an addendum. State that cameras are installed, where they are (for example the front entrance, parking area and hallways), that no cameras are inside units, that audio is not recorded, and what the cameras are for. If you add cameras mid-tenancy, give written notice and check whether your lease or local law requires consent or an amendment. Our guide to lease addendum types landlords use and when to add them covers how addenda work.
Visible signage. Post signs at entrances to the monitored area. Signs inform people, but as the Texas example shows, they do not authorize recording in a private space.

Retention, access and data security policies

Footage is personal data, so decide in advance how you will handle it:

Retention. Pick a fixed period, such as 30 days, and delete automatically unless footage is part of an incident. Keeping everything forever creates cost and exposure with no benefit.
Access. Limit viewing to named people, such as the owner and a property manager, and log who accessed footage and why. Do not share clips with other tenants or post them on social media.
Security. Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication on the camera account, keep firmware updated, and remove access when a team member leaves.
Requests. Decide how you will respond to a tenant request to review footage of an incident, a police request, or a subpoena, and route legal requests through your attorney.

Write these rules down. A one-page camera policy that matches how you operate is easier to defend than good intentions. Our guide to documentation best practices for landlords and building a defensible record system covers how to keep that record.

Tenant-installed cameras and doorbell cameras

The other side of the issue is cameras tenants want to install. Video doorbells, indoor cameras and baby monitors are common, and the lease should address them. Reasonable lease rules include:

Cameras inside the tenant's own unit are generally the tenant's business, but they must not record shared areas, other units or neighboring property.
Doorbell cameras on a unit's own entrance are widely accepted, but a doorbell that looks down a shared hallway or into another unit raises privacy concerns. Require the tenant to ask first and to angle the camera to the unit's own door.
No drilling or adhesive damage to common walls or doors without permission, and a requirement to remove the device and repair the area at move-out.
Audio recording rules apply to tenants too, so tell them that recording conversations of visitors or neighbors can break wiretap laws.

Apply the same rule to every tenant. A landlord who allows a doorbell camera for one tenant and refuses it for another invites a complaint. Also remember that you need proper notice before entering a unit to check or remove a device, which our guide to landlord entry notice laws and how much notice you must give tenants explains.

Shared entrances and multi-unit buildings

Shared entrances are where most disputes happen, because a camera aimed at the front door records every resident and visitor. Point the camera at the entry area, not at individual unit doors, avoid views into windows, and keep it on the building's own approach. In a small multi-unit building, tell everyone at the same time and in the same way so no unit feels singled out.

Fair housing consistency

A camera policy must be applied evenly. The Fair Housing Act, at 42 U.S.C. 3604(b), prohibits discrimination in the terms, conditions or privileges of rental, or in services and facilities, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status or national origin. A landlord who puts extra cameras near the units of one group of tenants, reviews footage of only some tenants, or enforces camera rules selectively can create a discrimination claim even if the intent was security. Document the reason for each camera location, such as a break-in history or a package theft pattern, so the decision is tied to a property risk and not to who lives there. Our fair housing compliance guide and how landlords reduce discrimination risk covers the broader system.

A simple camera policy checklist

Define the purpose. Write why each camera exists, such as deterring theft at the entrance or documenting package deliveries.
Choose lawful locations. Exterior and common areas only, never in bathrooms or bedrooms, and none inside dwelling units.
Turn off audio. Disable microphones unless a local attorney has approved audio recording.
Disclose it. Put the policy in the lease or an addendum, and post signs.
Control the footage. Set retention, name the people with access, and secure the account.
Cover tenant devices. Add a clause on tenant-installed and doorbell cameras.
Review yearly. Recheck local law, camera placement and who has access.

Frequently asked questions

Can a landlord put security cameras on a rental property?

Generally yes in exterior and common areas, if the use is lawful and disclosed. Cameras inside a rented unit, and in any bathroom or bedroom, are not allowed in many states and can be a crime.

Can landlords record audio with security cameras?

Audio is riskier than video because wiretap and eavesdropping laws apply. Federal law and states such as Texas follow a one-party consent rule, while California and Florida generally require all parties to consent, so disable audio unless an attorney approves it.

Do landlords have to tell tenants about security cameras?

Disclosure is not required everywhere, but it is the best practice. Put the camera locations and purposes in the lease or an addendum and post signs, remembering that signs do not authorize recording in private spaces.

Can a tenant install a doorbell camera in a rental?

That depends on the lease. Many landlords allow a doorbell camera on the unit's own door, with rules against recording shared areas or other units and against damaging the property.

How long should a landlord keep security camera footage?

No universal period applies. Many landlords keep footage for a short fixed window and delete it automatically unless it is part of an incident, and they restrict who can view it.

What to do next

A camera policy fails when it exists only in the landlord's head. The problem for a small landlord is proving what was disclosed, to whom, and when, and keeping footage rules, tenant consent and fair treatment consistent across every property.

Shuk covers the paperwork and communication around that policy. Unlimited Adobe-powered e-signatures let you send a camera addendum you have prepared to one or multiple signers and show when each document was signed and by whom. Property Documents keeps the signed addendum, your written camera policy and signage photos inside each property. Centralized in-app messaging lets you send broadcast announcements to selected properties, with email and push notifications, so every renter hears about a camera change at the same time. Teams and Permissions lets you invite unlimited users and control which team members can view or edit those records. The Inspection Tool supports walkthrough inspections with photos, videos and notes, so you can record where cameras are mounted and what they cover.

At as low as $2 per unit per month, with no setup fees and no contract, and with White Glove Onboarding included at no additional cost, Shuk makes a documented, consistently applied camera disclosure process feasible for landlords and property managers up to 200 units.

Book a demo at shukrentals.com/book-a-demo to see how e-signatures, Property Documents, in-app messaging and Teams and Permissions work together so every camera disclosure is signed, stored and easy to find.