Installing a security camera is a smart move for protecting your property, but choosing the wrong location can lead to privacy invasions and legal headaches. While modern wireless and weatherproof models offer incredible flexibility, experts warn that some spots are strictly off-limits.
The Worst Spots for Your Security Camera
Anywhere beyond your property boundary is a major no-go. You must never position a camera with the intention of surveilling a neighbour's home or garden. This is a clear breach of privacy. For those in terraced houses or flats, it requires careful positioning. Use your camera's app to set up privacy zones—adjustable black boxes that obscure parts of the view, like the house opposite your front door.
Bathrooms and toilets are an absolute prohibition. The reason is self-evident. Even an indoor camera should never be placed where it could capture a view into a bathroom, whether directly or through an open door or window.
Navigating Bedrooms and Shared Spaces
You should avoid installing cameras in bedrooms. The exception is for monitoring young children, where devices like baby monitors serve a clear purpose. Notably, UK data protection rules (GDPR) do not apply to parents monitoring their own children in their own home, as they are not considered third parties.
In shared houses, you cannot install a camera in a communal hallway or kitchen without the explicit consent of every tenant. The camera owner is responsible for how footage is stored and deleted. Transparency is key: ensure everyone is aware, and delete recordings when they are no longer needed.
Avoiding Practical Pitfalls
For outdoor cameras, install them high up and out of easy reach to prevent theft. A spot near an upstairs window is often ideal, allowing for battery changes while keeping the unit secure. Be mindful of placement near window ledges, as a nearby surface can reflect infrared light at night, ruining the night vision and flooding the footage with bright white glare.
Leveraging Your Camera's Smart Features
Most modern security systems come with tools to enhance privacy and efficiency. Beyond privacy zones, you can set up detection zones so the camera only records motion in specific areas, like your driveway, ignoring the public pavement. Using a recording schedule can save battery and storage by only activating the camera at night or when you're away.
If your camera unavoidably captures any public space or neighbouring land, it is considered good practice—and often a legal courtesy—to display a clear warning sign. Many security kits include window stickers or garden signs, which also serve as an extra deterrent to potential intruders.
