Domestic CCTV, doorbells and data protection

Posted: 09/07/2021

With the use of domestic CCTV and video doorbells on the rise, how can social housing providers support residents in understanding the law around the private use of this type of video and mitigate against future issues?

The use of domestic CCTV has long been a source of tension between neighbours, with social housing providers, council staff and police officers receiving complaints about the positioning of these cameras. Whilst it may appear to be a minor issue, concerns about privacy can lead to increased frustration and relationship breakdowns. In some instances, it can exacerbate far more serious anti-social behaviour.

In recent years, the problem has been further compounded by an increase in the use of video doorbells. Whilst these can prompt the same types of complaints from neighbours, community safety partners are also providing these devices to residents - either as a means of reassurance, or to capture evidence. In such cases, it is all the more important that practitioners have a clear understanding of the legal issues in play.

On Wednesday 7 July, Penningtons Manches Cooper hosted a webinar where Sam Rose, a senior associate in the firm’s social housing team and Janine Green, an Anti Social Behaviour trainer and consultant, explored, the law around use of video equipment in domestic settings, things to think about when considering the use of video equipment, whether in the form of CCTV or video doorbells, and the sorts of complaints that might arise.

Video equipment, depending on the area its covering, can be really intrusive to others, and without realising can cause the owner to get caught up in legal issues. Sam talked through the implications of data protection when using video equipment such as CCTV or video doorbells at a domestic residence and stressed the importance of understanding the steps required to adhere to legal requirements. She gave some actionable advice that individuals can adopt to protect themselves from any future issues. Some of the key suggestions were to ensure your video footage only covers your property boundaries, display signs to advise recording is in place, keep your footage protected by limiting who can view it and only store it for the amount of time permitted.

The webinar, delivered to assist in answering some of the most common questions about video doorbells and CCTV had a record number of attendees, with over 600 people registering for the event. Thank you to all those who attended and for anyone who missed the event, here is a copy of the recording.

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