HOA Security Cameras

Two cameras get confused in these fights. Yours, usually a doorbell or an eave mount on property you own. Theirs, the association’s cameras on common area.

Your camera is often an architectural change if it is visible. Submit it if the guidelines say exterior devices need approval. Point it at your own entry, not into a neighbor’s window. Several states have consent rules for audio recording that are stricter than the rules for silent video. Turn audio off unless you know your state’s rule. A covenant that bans all cameras may still lose to a device the statute protects, but do not assume a solar-style statute exists for cameras. Most states have not written one.

Association cameras are a records and privacy question. Owners can often ask where they are, who can view them, and how long footage is kept. Footage of a specific incident may be a record. It may also contain other residents. Ask for the policy, and ask for the clip that shows your own front door if you need it for a violation defense. The records request works for the policy and the retention schedule. A request for “every camera, every day” will stall, and it should.