Installing CCTV in a social housing stair

[BigsimonY]

So my Brother lives in a block of 9 flats. 3 levels of 3. Its social housing (places for people). The area is slowly becoming increasingly worse for vandalism. He wants to put up a cheap cctv system. 1 camera out side his front door, and 1 pointing at the residents car park at the back where his car is. The 1st prob is the camera at his front door would also catch everyone walking in and out the main stair door. I was not sure if that would be legal or if neighbors would have grounds for complaint. The camera cant really go anywhere else if its going to be of any use to him. The next is the camera looking on to the car park. Again it will film everyone who parks there cars in it. Will it be ok to point one there also ?

[CallorFold]

Not sure of the legalities, but on the neighbor front, surely it's in their best interests to keep their block of flats "safe" so wouldn't have any reason to complain about said camera at the front door? Obviously checking with the first would be the best way to go.

[eybic]

I'm pretty sure they would have a valid complaint, there are privacy issues and he'd need to install signage etc.

[The Surveyor]

Would this not be better dealt with by the landlord / managing agent given that the stair will be part of the common areas? A central CCTV system linked to a remote monitoring company with the costs shared by all the tenants (if all agree) would sort out any privacy issues as well as giving the security coverage needed.

[Red Devil]

http://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/cctv-privacy-an...
http://www.protectingyourself.co.uk/security-camer...
http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/dec/11/home-su...

However, social housing will be the responsibility of a registered provider.
This is normally a local authority or a not-for-profit housing association.
The LA/HA landlord will have the ultimate say on what he is, or is not, allowed to do.

[BigsimonY]

i think the prob is some of his neighbors are the issue. He is convinced 1 is a dealer and is the cause of the volume of undesirables

[aw51 121565]

He initially needs to report his concerns to the social landlord (perhaps he will be able to do this anonymously, perhaps not), in that case...

[wildoliver]

He needs to move.

[rs1952]

aw51 121565 said:

He initially needs to report his concerns to the social landlord (perhaps he will be able to do this anonymously, perhaps not), in that case...

I have worked for local councils and housing associations, directly employed or in consultancy capacity for most of my working life, so here goes.

Your brother will have to get the permission of his landlord to install a CCTV camera. To be honest, it is unlikely that he will be given such a permission to install one in a communal area because of the potential privacy issues involved. Another important point to remember is that if somebody laid into the camera with a sledgehammer it would be no good him going crying about it to his landlord - it would have been his responsibility to keep it safe and not theirs.

The landlord might consider installing CCTV if the problems are particularly bad, but it then begs the question what are those problems? Neighbours can be noisy and/or irritating but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are doing anything wrong enough for anybody in authority to take action over (ie breaches of tenancy conditions or police action for the more serious stuff).

In direct response to aw51 121565, anonymous letters of complaint usually get filed in one of those little round grey filing baskets on the floor next to the recipient's desk