Video Surveillance for Apartment Complexes
Apartment buildings and complexes can benefit from video surveillance systems due to their large groups of residents (who are often strangers) and high rates of theft and vandalism.
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Benefits of Apartment Complex CCTV
- Easy to install – IP cameras are easy to install yourself, and unlike analog CCTV cameras, you can choose where to put your cameras and reconfigure them according to your needs – no appointments, ladders, or power tools necessary.
- Secure public places – Video surveillance makes it easy to keep your residents safe. A camera mounted at the entrance can prevent intruders from slipping in behind your tenants at locked entrances and can discourage violence and other crimes from occurring on your premises.
- Prevent theft and vandalism -
- High resolution images – Digital security cameras provide much higher resolution than their analog counterparts, providing high quality footage and no static.
- Check footage anytime – A network of IP cameras managed by a NVR (network video recorder) allows you to broadcast your security camera footage over the internet. You can view your footage from anywhere in the world, and check up on any of your complexes at any time.
Perils of Flat Security Cameras
Apartment and condominium complexes range widely in type and size, and require different types of security for the best protection. Consider these factors when you are setting up your video security system:
- Tenant privacy – Cameras should only be installed in public places like entrances, parking lots, and laundry rooms to protect tenant privacy. Be careful to keep tenant doors out of your camera’s view.
- Vandalism – Since so many people enter and exit apartment complexes each day, it’s possible that vandals can slip in undetected and damage your property or camera system
- Outages – Power outages, disturbances and surges can cause disruptions or damage to your security camera system. Although these problems are rare, they still happen on occasion.
- Outdoor damages – security cameras in outdoor areas like parking lots, pools and courtyards can be damaged by inclement weather.
Configuration Considerations for Apartment Building IP Video Systems
Apartments are a part of every housing landscape - urban, suburban, small town, even rural. Neighborhoods, tenants and simple architectural features all make a big difference when it comes to security, and can make the security needs of two different apartment complexes completely different. Take the following into account when shopping for and installing a system of security cameras for an apartment building:
- What security systems are currently in place?
- What is the biggest security issue for the building or complex?
- What are the tenants like? Is there a high rate of turnover?
- What kind of problems have their been in the public areas of the complex?
- How are the apartments laid out? Are they grouped together in a single building or spread out in many buildings over a larger complex?
- Is there a parking garage or do tenants park on the street?
Setup Advice for Complex Security Camera Systems
- Place cameras in public areas like parking garages, building entrances, mail rooms, and laundry areas.
- Consider using IP cameras to allow for easy expansion or re-arrangement of the system should your needs change
- Protective housings should be placed around any cameras exposed to the elements
- Place cameras in administrative areas, especially if rents are paid on-site.