CCTV and Ring Doorbells 

If you want to install CCTV or a smart doorbell on your home, there are some things you need to know first...

The key thing is that you should be asking our permission before installing CCTV or a smart doorbell. You will also need to make sure you respect people’s privacy and comply with UK Data Protection Law. 

Click here to request permission

Before requesting permission from us, think about:

• Why do you need CCTV?
• Could you use another means to protect your home, such as improved lighting?
• What do you want your CCTV system to view and record?
• Does it need to record all the time?
• Does it need to record audio?

It's important to consider the privacy of others. Ask yourself:

• Where will you position it to minimise intrusion into neighbours’ and other people’s privacy?
• Have you considered systems that can reduce intrusion, such as those with privacy filters?
• How will your neighbours feel about it?

Legally, you're able to install CCTV or a video doorbell if it's only recording your property. By limiting the coverage of the CCTV to your property’s boundaries, including your garden, data protection laws don’t apply.

If you’re capturing images outside the boundary of your property, such as your neighbours’ homes or gardens or public footpaths or streets, UK GDPR and data protection laws apply.

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) suggests that you speak to your neighbours before installing your system

What if I want to capture antisocial behaviour?

If this is the case, you should speak to your Neighbourhood Officer first. 

You should consider ways to minimise the intrusion by:

• Not recording all the time;
• Not capturing audio; or
• Adjusting the range of the camera so it captures a smaller area.

Whilst the appropriate use of a domestic video system may be justifiable, using the captured data to put on social media is unlikely to be acceptable under legislation, especially if it includes images of other people.

What if the camera catches other people, properties, or communal space outside the boundary of my home?

You’ll need to follow several steps to ensure you’re compliant with data protection laws:

• Inform people that you’re using CCTV by putting up signs letting them know about the recording and the reasons for it;
• Make sure that you’re not capturing more footage than you need to;
• Ensure the security of the footage. You should be able to demonstrate that the system you’re using meets any applicable standards;
• Only retain footage for as long as necessary;
• Ensure the CCTV system isn’t misused; and
• Comply with subject access requests and other data subject rights.

Visit the ICO's website for more details.