Question: Can I install CCTV inside my unit so I can keep watch on my vehicle parked out the back?
Can I install CCTV inside my unit to watch over my vehicle parked out the back? The installation would not be on common property and the camera only sees part of the backyard and car park.
We will only turn the CCTV on while we are on holiday. There is no invasion of privacy for other residents.
Answer: You can install CCTV cameras, however, you need to be aware of a few restrictions.
The quick answer is that you can install CCTV cameras, however, there are a few restrictions you need to be aware of when doing so. If you are a lot owner, you can install security devices. You can also conduct cosmetic work without approval. This means that the actual work to install a camera should not need owners corporation approval as there are no structural or waterproofing issues.
The restrictions are:
- you can’t install anything in your lot that can be seen from outside your lot and is not in keeping with the building and
- there is a good argument that if you install the camera (screw it into the wall or window frame) you are conducting work that can be seen externally and, therefore, it is not cosmetic work or a minor renovation.
For this reason, you may want to install a camera that is not screwed in but potentially stuck onto the paintwork. Then there is the privacy issue. I discuss these issues and a case that is on point in my vlog: CCTV cameras in strata & community title schemes.
This post appears in the May 2023 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Allison Benson
Kerin Benson Lawyers
E: allison@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au
P: 02 4032 7990
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