If you manage or own an apartment building in New York—especially in NYC—security cameras can be one of the most effective tools for deterring package theft, reducing unauthorized entry, and resolving “what really happened” disputes in common areas. But the moment you install cameras, you’re balancing two priorities at once:
Protecting people and property, and
Respecting privacy + following New York (and sometimes NYC-specific) rules.
This post is tailored for NY apartment building property managers/owners who want a practical, compliance-first approach to surveillance—without turning the building into a legal or resident-relations headache.
Quick note: This is general educational information, not legal advice. If you’re facing a specific complaint, investigation, or lawsuit risk, a NY attorney can apply the rules to your exact facts.
Most camera questions in apartment buildings come down to where the camera is and what it captures.
A simple, defensible approach is:
Common areas = generally acceptable for video, when done for legitimate security reasons (entrances, lobby, package room, elevator lobbies, hallways, garage, laundry, trash rooms).
Private spaces = high-risk and often unacceptable (inside apartments, bathrooms/restrooms, changing areas, showers, and anything aimed into those spaces).
New York’s “unlawful surveillance” statute is especially relevant because it specifically addresses recording in privacy-sensitive areas like restrooms, bathrooms, changing rooms, and similar places. (New York State Senate)
Practical building rule: Keep cameras focused on access control points and shared spaces, not into anyone’s private living area.
This is where many apartment buildings get into trouble without realizing it.
New York’s eavesdropping framework makes it a crime to mechanically overhear/record a conversation without the consent of at least one party. (New York State Senate)
In an apartment building hallway or lobby, management is usually not a party to residents’ conversations. So if your camera system records audio in common areas, you’re creating unnecessary risk.
Best practice for most apartment buildings:
Disable audio recording on all common-area cameras (and confirm it’s disabled at the recorder/VMS level too, not just in the camera menu). (Reporters Committee)
If someone insists they “need audio,” that’s usually a sign you should get legal counsel before enabling it.
If you’re aiming for “low complaints + high security value,” these locations are typically the most defensible:
Outside approach view (faces approaching)
Inside vestibule view (direction of travel)
Visitor flow, front desk, seating area
Doors leading deeper into the building
Clear views of the door + shelving/lockers
Avoid blind spots behind tall shelving
Places everyone must pass through
Often better than trying to cover every hallway inch
Frequent dispute and misuse zones
Gate/vehicle entry lane
Pedestrian door from garage to building
Ramp and elevator lobby inside garage levels
These often become the “quiet entry points” for unauthorized access
Important: Even in common areas, don’t aim cameras so they feel like they’re monitoring a specific tenant’s door or peering into unit interiors through windows.
Avoid (or extremely carefully evaluate) these scenarios:
Inside apartments (nearly always a hard no)
Bathrooms/restrooms, changing areas, showers (high legal risk) (New York State Senate)
Cameras aimed into apartment windows/balconies
Cameras placed so close to unit doors that they appear to track who visits a specific resident
Hidden cameras in “common” areas (bad for trust; can trigger serious complaints)
Even if your intent is security, the optics and practical impact matter. A good system should make residents feel safer—not watched.
Many apartment buildings have staff: supers, porters, doormen, maintenance teams, leasing staff. If your cameras cover areas where employees work, New York’s electronic monitoring notice law can come into play for private employers.
New York Civil Rights Law § 52-c*2 requires covered employers to provide notice and post a notice regarding electronic monitoring. (New York State Senate)
Practical compliance move (building-operator friendly):
Add a monitoring notice to onboarding paperwork for new staff
Post the required notice in a conspicuous staff area
Keep acknowledgements organized
Even if your cameras are mainly for resident safety, don’t ignore the employment side—because that’s often where complaints escalate.
If your “camera project” is bundled with modern access tech—mobile entry, smart locks, key fobs with cloud dashboards, visitor management apps, biometric readers—NYC has a dedicated framework called the Tenant Data Privacy Law (often discussed as the Tenant Data Privacy Act) that regulates certain “smart access system” data.
NYC HPD explains obligations like limiting collection to what’s necessary, consent rules for certain data, and data-handling requirements. (New York City Government)
The local law text also includes requirements around destruction/retention of certain authentication data (with exceptions). (Intro NYC)
A normal camera that simply monitors an entrance is one thing. But if your system ties video/intercom to access credentials and tenant authentication, now you’re in “data governance” territory—especially in NYC.
Practical steps if your building uses smart access:
Get a written list of what data is collected (authentication + reference data)
Confirm where it’s stored (vendor cloud vs local)
Confirm retention/deletion rules and whether the platform supports compliance workflows (New York City Government)
Limit admin access and vendor access
Keep your tenant-facing disclosures clear and consistent
If you’re not sure whether your system counts as “smart access,” ask the vendor directly—and get the answer in writing.
Even when cameras in common areas are generally permissible, notice reduces conflict. It also supports a “trustworthy operator” posture (which matters in disputes).
Good signage typically includes:
“Premises under video surveillance”
Purpose (safety/security)
Management contact method
If you have employees, remember your separate employee-monitoring notice obligations too. (New York State Senate)
A written policy is one of the most effective tools for both compliance and resident trust. Here’s what strong NY apartment-building policies usually cover.
Example:
“Cameras are used to deter theft/vandalism, support building safety, and assist in investigating reported incidents in common areas.”
Avoid “we monitor everything” language.
List covered common areas
Explicitly ban private-area recording (apartments, bathrooms, changing areas, etc.) (New York State Senate)
State that audio is disabled on common-area cameras (recommended in NY due to eavesdropping risk) (New York State Senate)
Use role-based access:
Staff: live view only (if needed)
Manager/board: playback and export
Vendor: temporary access only, logged and time-limited
Pick a clear retention window (many buildings choose 14–30 days; higher-risk buildings may choose longer). The key is consistency and defensibility.
If you use NYC smart access, align camera/access data retention with your Tenant Data Privacy Law obligations for covered data categories. (New York City Government)
When footage is exported, log who exported it and why
Don’t casually share clips by text/email
Establish a process for law enforcement requests
This protects residents and protects management.
In many buildings, residents want doorbell cams or hallway-facing cameras. From a management standpoint, the issue isn’t “security”—it’s that a tenant camera in a hallway may capture neighbors’ doors, visitors, schedules, and conversations.
Practical policy approach:
Allow cameras inside units (pointed inward), subject to lease/house rules
Require written approval for any camera aimed into common areas
Prohibit cameras that record hallway audio (same NY risk issue) (New York State Senate)
Require that any approved device does not capture other unit interiors/windows and is not attached in a way that damages property
You don’t want a patchwork of personal surveillance in shared corridors—especially in co-ops/condos where neighbor disputes can spiral.
If you want a clean, defensible setup, here’s a blueprint that tends to work well:
Front door (outside + inside vestibule)
Lobby overview
Package/mailroom
Rear/side door
Elevator lobby
Laundry
Trash/compactor
Bike/storage room
Vehicle gate lane
Pedestrian door
Garage elevator lobby
Then layer governance:
Audio disabled (New York State Senate)
Strong access controls on the video system
Written policy + signage
Staff notice/posting if employees are monitored (New York State Senate)
NYC smart access data compliance where applicable (New York City Government)
Common-area cameras are widely used, but they should be aimed and managed responsibly, avoiding private areas and avoiding audio recording. (New York State Senate)
New York’s eavesdropping framework requires consent of at least one party for recording conversations, which creates risk when recording common-area conversations that management isn’t part of. Disabling audio is usually the safest building practice. (New York State Senate)
Avoid cameras in restrooms/bathrooms/changing areas. NY’s unlawful surveillance statute highlights these locations as privacy-sensitive. (New York State Senate)
Yes. NYC’s Tenant Data Privacy Law addresses certain smart access building data practices and retention/deletion requirements. (New York City Government)
NY Civil Rights Law § 52-c*2 includes notice/posting requirements for covered electronic monitoring by private employers. (New York State Senate)
If you want your building’s camera plan to be both effective and defensible, treat compliance as part of the project—right alongside camera placement and storage.
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