BY RHODIUM SECURITY · BUYING GUIDE
Updated
Apartment common-area CCTV is a shared-property decision. Before comparing cameras, establish who can approve installation, where the system may record and who will manage resident requests and footage. A camera for a shared lobby has different responsibilities from a camera installed inside a private apartment.
Give the lobby and parcel area different tasks
An entrance view may show who arrived while an overview of an approved parcel area helps explain a collection sequence. Test the view with common obstructions such as lobby furniture, plants and stacked parcels. Avoid making a parcel overview a close recording of delivery labels and personal details.
Glazed lobbies can be difficult when the outside is bright. Ask to assess recorded detail of a walking visitor at the intended distance. A camera mounted very high may mostly show the top of a person’s head, even when the room itself looks clear. Plan the lens and angle together.
Coordinate garage and pedestrian entry views
Treat vehicle overview, pedestrian access and any number-plate requirement as separate tasks. Check headlights, garage-door movement and the route from parking to the lift or stairs. A wide garage camera is not automatically a reliable number-plate capture camera.
If access control or an intercom is part of the proposal, itemise it separately and confirm compatible equipment and responsibilities. CCTV provides recorded views; it does not by itself authorise a door release or identify every resident. Test each proposed function against the building’s approved access process.
Keep accounts and recording under building control
Decide who may view, replay and export footage. Check supported account roles on the exact recorder and any remote service. Do not make a public lobby display or resident-wide remote feed the default proposal. Establish how account ownership passes to a new building manager without leaving former contractors with access.
Agree retention, incident preservation and requests through the building’s policy process. Obtain a storage estimate for the selected camera settings and include a secure recorder location, network connection and power. A system powered from a private apartment creates practical access and ownership questions that should be resolved before installation.
Ask for a documented building handover
Provide Rhodium Security with the approved common-area plan, camera distances and current recorder or intercom model numbers. Include contractor access, cabling permissions and planned building works. Compare equipment, storage and installation against the same scope.
At handover, walk approved entrances, replay the recorded test sequence and check what appears when apartment doors open. Test authorised export and account permissions. Record final views, maintenance responsibility and the process for a recording fault or manager change.
- Installation approval and system ownership documented.
- Shared areas and private interiors clearly separated.
- Lobby, parcel and vehicle tasks assessed individually.
- Recorder location, building network and account transition planned.
- Footage access, retention and handover tests agreed.
Related planning guides
- How to Choose Security Cameras for Car Parks ↗
- How to Choose Security Cameras for Offices ↗
- Remote CCTV viewing: plan secure access to your footage ↗