Renters and tenants throughout Austin have changing needs when it comes to the amenities that their residences offer. Some place an importance on having a pool or fitness center while others place an importance on having security systems or tools in place that make them feel safe and protected in their homes. If you’re thinking about adding security cameras to your property, here are some tips we’ve put together to help.
Monitor the entire community.
Solely monitoring one resident or one section of your property could be considered an invasion of privacy and raise concerns.
Record video, not audio.
Video recordings allow residents to feel safe, but recording conversations can make people feel spied on. You want residents to maintain their privacy while feeling protected in their homes, so opt to record video without recording the audio.
Send out a notice prior to installation that security cameras will be going up.
It’s important to give your residents a heads up that a change will be happening to their property. It also alleviates any complaints coming to you about seeing people making changes. In your notice, you’ll want to include where the cameras will be, why they are going up, and a disclaimer that there are likely to be blind spots and not all common areas will be covered, so your association is not responsible for any lost footage.
Create rules and guidelines for your security cameras.
You will need rules about how long footage will be kept and how the footage will be stored. You will also need guidelines about who can view the footage. We recommend that it’s only viewed by property managers, security teams, and law enforcement.
Set rules for residents that would like to install their own security systems.
The first rule should state that installing exterior cameras requires approval in order to make sure that the placement of the cameras doesn’t interfere with anyone’s privacy. You may also request that owners place a sign saying they have surveillance cameras. If you’re worried about the exterior cameras causing an appearance issue, it is perfectly fine to have rules about the shape, size, and placement of the cameras. You can also request owners take steps to camouflage the cameras.
We understand how important it is to keep your community safe, so if you have any questions about security systems and guidelines to put in place, contact Prism Realty Management. We know all about taking care of the communities throughout Austin, and we’re happy to share our knowledge with you.
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