Can my landlord tell me I can't have a security camera?

In many jurisdictions, yes, if it's specified in the lease — landlords generally can restrict exterior alterations, drilling, and sometimes any exterior camera at all, particularly in shared or multi-unit buildings. This varies by state and municipality, so check your specific lease terms and local tenant law rather than assuming a blanket right either way; this is general information, not legal advice.

Do I need to tell my landlord I'm installing an indoor camera?

For a purely indoor camera pointed only at your own unit's interior, most leases don't require notification, though some do have general no-alteration or no-drilling clauses that could technically apply even to a no-drill indoor camera. When in doubt, a quick note to your landlord costs nothing and avoids a dispute later.

Can I put a camera on a shared hallway or building entrance?

Generally more restricted than your own unit's interior or door, since a shared space involves other tenants' privacy and the building's own common-area rules. Check your lease and building policy specifically before mounting anything in a shared hallway, stairwell or lobby, and never point a camera into another unit's window or private space regardless of what your own lease says.

Renters and Security Cameras: What Your Lease Actually Allows

Written & researched by Marisol Vance Buying Guides Editor

Updated August 2026

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Short version: what you can install depends on your specific lease and local law, not a universal renter's right, and it's worth checking both before buying anything. As a general pattern (not legal advice — check your own lease and local tenant law), no-drill indoor cameras face the fewest restrictions, exterior modifications face the most, and shared spaces sit in between.

The General Pattern Across Most Leases

Indoor cameras pointed at your own space: typically the least restricted category. A plug-in or battery camera aimed at your own front door from inside, with no drilling or permanent alteration, rarely conflicts with standard lease terms.

No-drill exterior installs: a battery camera using an adhesive mount or a tension-fit bracket on your own door or window frame is a middle-ground option that avoids drilling but may still be considered an "exterior alteration" under some leases — worth a quick check or a note to your landlord.

Drilled or hardwired exterior installs: the most likely to require explicit landlord permission, and often flatly prohibited in standard lease language around exterior modifications.

Shared or common areas (hallways, lobbies, shared entrances): generally the most restricted, since these involve other tenants and the building's own policies, not just your unit.

What to Actually Check in Your Lease

Look for clauses covering "alterations," "exterior modifications," "drilling or attaching fixtures," and anything specifically mentioning cameras or surveillance devices — some leases, particularly in larger apartment complexes, address cameras explicitly. If your lease is silent on the topic entirely, that's genuinely ambiguous rather than automatically permissive; a quick conversation with your landlord or property manager before installing anything avoids a dispute later, and many landlords are receptive when asked directly.

No-Drill Installation Options

Battery cameras with adhesive mounts, tension-fit door/window brackets, or simply placed on a shelf or windowsill avoid drilling entirely and come down cleanly when you move — the standard approach for renter-friendly installs covered in depth in best security camera for apartment. Command-strip-style adhesive mounts are a common middle ground, holding securely enough for daily use while removing without wall damage.

Disclosure to Roommates and Other Occupants

If you share the unit with a roommate or subletter, disclose any camera covering shared space to them directly — this isn't just courtesy, it intersects with the same audio-consent and privacy-expectation issues covered in our audio recording legality FAQ. Never place a camera in a bathroom or a roommate's private bedroom regardless of whose name is on the lease.

If Your Lease Restricts Cameras Entirely

A few options remain even under a restrictive lease: indoor-only placement pointed at your own unit's interior door (rarely restricted the same way as exterior devices), a doorbell-style peephole camera that replaces an existing peephole without altering the door itself, or simply a well-placed indoor camera near the entry that doesn't require any exterior mounting at all.

Related Guides

See best security camera for apartment for the specific product shortlist built around no-drill installs, and are home security cameras legal for the broader legal picture beyond lease-specific restrictions. This page is general information, not legal advice — check your specific lease and local tenant law for anything binding.

Security Cameras for Renters: What Your Lease Actually Allows