CCTV for strata and apartments

By Brendan Byrne · Published 15 September 2026 · 6 min read

CCTV in a strata building generally splits into two categories: cameras covering common property, which the owners corporation controls and typically needs to approve by special resolution or by-law, and cameras within an individual lot pointing only at that lot's own entry, which an owner can usually install without the same approval process. Getting this distinction right at the start avoids most of the disputes that come up around apartment CCTV.

By-laws and owners corporation approval

Installing CCTV that covers common property - a building foyer, a shared car park, a lift lobby, a communal garden - is a decision for the owners corporation, not an individual lot owner, because the cameras, recorder and cabling become common property assets that everyone in the scheme has a stake in. This usually means a motion at a general meeting, sometimes requiring a special resolution depending on the cost and scope, and often a specific by-law setting out how the system will be used, who can access footage and how long it's retained.

An individual owner wanting a camera on their own front door, entirely within their lot and capturing only their own entry, generally has an easier path, though it's still worth checking the scheme's specific by-laws first, since some buildings have rules about anything visible from common property, including a doorbell camera mounted just outside a unit door. When in doubt, raising it with the strata manager before installing anything saves a potential dispute and a request to remove it later.

Common property vs lot: where the line sits

The practical test is usually where the camera is capturing footage, not just where it's physically mounted. A camera mounted inside a unit's balcony but angled to capture a shared driveway or a neighbouring unit's window sits in a greyer area than one that only captures the resident's own balcony space. Buildings vary in how strictly they interpret this, and it's a common source of neighbour disputes in apartment blocks, so a considered, own-property-only angle is the safer default even for a lot-owned camera.

Shared NVR access: who gets to see the footage

In a strata scheme with common property CCTV, access to the recorder is usually restricted to the strata manager, the building manager, and sometimes a committee member, rather than being open to every resident on request. This isn't just administrative caution - unrestricted access to footage covering shared spaces raises its own privacy questions, since footage might incidentally capture other residents going about ordinary building life. A written access policy, setting out who can request footage, for what reason (typically an incident, dispute or police request) and how requests are logged, is standard practice in a well-run building and worth asking for if your building doesn't have one.

Privacy of residents

Because common property cameras inevitably capture residents rather than just outsiders, buildings need to be more considered about placement than a single home would. Cameras aimed into lobbies, corridors and car parks are generally accepted as reasonable security measures, while cameras positioned to look into private balconies, windows or a specific resident's regular movements raise legitimate privacy concerns and are more likely to generate a complaint or a request for removal at a general meeting. A reasonable approach most buildings settle on is covering entry and exit points, car park access, and any area with a history of incidents, while avoiding angles that capture more of residents' private lives than necessary for security.

Who holds the footage

Legally and practically, footage from common property cameras is usually held as a common property asset controlled by the owners corporation, with the strata manager or building manager as the day-to-day custodian. This matters when a resident asks for footage after, say, a parcel theft or a car park incident - the request typically needs to go through the strata manager or building manager rather than directly to whichever resident happens to know the recorder's login, both for consistency and so there's a record of who accessed what and why.

Typical apartment block system design

A typical mid-size apartment block CCTV design covers the main pedestrian entries, car park entry and exit points, lift lobbies on the ground floor, and any communal amenity areas like a gym or pool gate, usually with somewhere between eight and twenty cameras depending on the building's size and layout. Recorders are generally sized for 30 to 60 days of retention given the larger number of cameras and typically higher expectation of footage being available if an incident isn't reported immediately. Buildings with basement car parks often add cameras at ramp entries specifically to capture number plates, which usually means a slightly longer lens and a well-lit or full-colour night vision camera rather than a standard wide-angle unit.

Larger or newer buildings increasingly use IP-based systems similar to those used in commercial premises, run over the building's existing network infrastructure where that exists, rather than a standalone analogue system, partly because it simplifies adding cameras later as the building's needs change.

Intercom integration

Many modern intercom systems, particularly IP-based ones installed in newer buildings or as part of a retrofit, can show a live camera feed from the building's front entry or a visitor's call directly on a resident's intercom handset or phone app, letting a resident see who's at the door before buzzing them in. This is increasingly common in new-build strata schemes and is also a popular retrofit request in older buildings upgrading a tired analogue intercom, since it can often reuse existing cabling paths depending on the system chosen. AVsion in Maroubra has handled this kind of retrofit for eastern suburbs apartment blocks, pairing an intercom upgrade with the building's CCTV cabling so the two systems are installed and documented together rather than as separate, disconnected jobs.

For committees weighing up a new system or an upgrade, our guide to CCTV installation cost in Sydney gives a sense of typical pricing at larger camera counts, and how to choose a CCTV installer in Sydney covers what to check before engaging a contractor for a strata job, including licensing and insurance. Our guide to CCTV laws in NSW has more detail on the privacy considerations that apply specifically to shared and common-property footage.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install my own CCTV camera in a strata building?

You can generally install a camera within your own lot that points only at your own front door or balcony, but anything mounted on or capturing common property, like a hallway, foyer or car park, typically needs owners corporation approval first. Check your scheme's by-laws before installing anything.

Who owns CCTV footage from common property in an apartment building?

Usually the owners corporation, since the cameras and recorder are typically owned as common property assets, though the building manager or a strata management company often manages day-to-day access on the owners corporation's behalf.

Do owners corporations need to notify residents about CCTV?

There's no single blanket requirement, but good practice, and often a condition of any specific by-law passed, is signage at entry points and a written policy on what's recorded, how long it's kept and who can request access.

How long does an apartment building keep CCTV footage?

It varies by building and by the recorder's storage capacity, but 14 to 30 days is common for smaller schemes, with larger buildings or those with an incident history sometimes keeping 60 to 90 days if the recorder and budget support it.

Can CCTV be integrated with an apartment building's intercom?

Yes, many modern intercom systems, including IP-based ones, can show a camera feed from the building entrance or an individual unit's door directly through the intercom handset or an app, which is increasingly common in new strata fit-outs and retrofits.

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