Posted 2 days ago

Cameras - Permission from landlord

Good morning everyone,

We installed a camera in our bedroom window(we live in ground floor flat) and the camera only covers our private garden.

We have a camera in the kitchen too and this covers our front garden which we have some use of. This camera also covers the communal front gate and a little bit of the path.

We had an intruder, I shared the footage and told our landlord which is a social housing council flat about the footage. They said I needed permission from them for the cameras.

I've searched all our tenancy handbook and all their online policies.

I know we need to be careful with the recordings, stickers in window etc and tell our neighbours.

Would we need permission from our landlord? It was just a lady on the phone who told me(I didn't question her on where it stated this in all their literature).

Thanks

New Comment

16 Comments

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20th Apr
The problem may be with the coverage of the common areas.
Author
20th Apr
It doesn't really cover an internal communal area. It covers the front gate where the postman comes in. It's our front garden and the neighbour who tiny bit of garden it covers is happy with it and I showed him.

My main question was with the landlords request to ask permission.

The council own the property. I was wondering the woman got the 'you need permission from us from'

We have no legal powers regarding private CCTV systems, only our public CCTV systems.

View Guidance on the Use of Domestic CCTV.(Opens in a New Window)

The use of private CCTV systems could constitute a criminal matter for the Police if privacy and civil liberties have been infringed by the actions of neighbours which may constitute harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

View Guidance for Being Filmed By Domestic CCTV.(Opens in a New Window)
20th Apr
I'm not a legal expert in this field but I know this is a very hot debated topic at the moment with test cases and landmark cases in the courts regarding the use of personal CCTV and data protection. The popularity of ring and nest cameras and even dash cams have been used to obtain evidence in solving of crimes so much so that even the police often ask the public for CCTV footage to help them in the evidence gathering process.
Whilst most users of these devices use them correctly, there are others who misuse them. Cameras can be used within the confines of your property but shouldn't be used in communal areas like gardens where people can sunbathe or children play. They also shouldn't be aimed at people's bedrooms etc, legal or not it's just morally wrong. It's not just video footage, it's the audio footage as well, I don't want my private conversations recorded or monitored. Cameras can pick up private conversations. Whilst I agree with CCTV as a deterrent for crime I would be horrified if my neighbours spied on me or watching my every move (see who comes to visit, what time I come and go etc, it's just creepy).
If I lived in an apartment with shared areas I would not object if my neighbour had a door bell camera on their front door, I won't have an issue if they installed one looking into their private garden/area but I will object if they start putting them in shared areas or put them so as to look into private areas.
If the landlord says you need permission, then ask for permission. If they agree after consultation with others then put them up. The landlord is scared of being sued for data protection and privacy laws and rightly so.
If you are concerned about crime and want CCTV ask the landlord to install them in the public areas.
20th Apr
The concern might be that you are drilling holes in a property that is not yours, and will have to run wiring in a manner that needs their approval.
Considering where councils put cameras, and the operators behind them, they can't really comment as to where you point yours. That is between you and the law
Author
20th Apr
It's just a tepo camera in the window like I said. No drilling and just plugged into wall. All internal
20th Apr
They are talking nonsense. I live in a council flat and have a video doorbell which partialy see's a neighbours door ( other side of corridor }, and 4 camers in side windows which look out onto a communal garden, despite one particularly neighbour who has written many letters of complaint to the council about " right to privacy etc etc, the short version is, as long as you do not mount items ( in your case camera's ) on the outside walls without the landlords permission the " right to privacy etc etc " does NOT exist to common area's. The Goverments own Information Commisioner's Office clearly states that NO prosecution would be possible as it is perfectly legal, the only exception would be if you are recording private property, angling your camera's where possible will elimate that problem. So carry on and just ignore the people who try to cause you problems. ( I also live in a ground floor flat at the back of the block, which makes us a target more so than others. )
Author
20th Apr
That is my view from kitchen. You can see anything wrong?
20th Apr
Aim the question at the landlord. Advise you are not drilling holes, not spying outside of your rented area and ask her to direct you to the law / contract which gives her jurisdiction over your ability to monitor your rented premises?
Author
20th Apr
Yes. I only really thought about it when I was writing the email asking for permission.

Another neighbour has a ring doorbell. It catches everyone's front door. But I feel I'm not doing anything wrong/illegal. So 🤷🏼‍♂️
22 h, 14 m ago
@Wayne_John TBH, I think you've answered your own question. If it's not in your tenancy agreement and it's not obvious you would need to ask (which in this case, it isn't), then you don't need their permission.
3 m ago
I'd watch a couple of BlackBeltBarristers videos on the topic, he has done a few: