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Can a co-op put up a surveillance camera in a common area without notifying the cooperatives or displaying a sign that the area is under surveillance?
Join the Conversation Comments (1)Thanks Steve, very helpful.
Excellent response Steven! As a protection professional, I couldn't have explained it better. Happy123, Steven's advice is right on the money.
My only thought is why didn't the co-op notify the shareholders of the cameras? Doesn't the co-op want the shareholders to know?
Are the cameras supposed to be spying on people, or are they there for protection and identification in case of criminal activity?
Marty - I would agree with you about notifying shareholders, but maybe the reason for installing the cameras and not notifying the shareholders is because a shareholder is suspected of malicious activity in a common area. If the shareholder is alerted, s/he may move their maliciousness elsewhere and then it becomes a game of cat and mouse.
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I am not a lawyer and this is not a legal opinion, but I believe you can. It's my understanding that there is no expectation of privacy in common areas.
There are some limitations, though. While you can record video, you can't record audio. In terms of the law there is a difference between the two.
You can't aim the camera so it can view the interior of an apartment when the door is opened. Apartment interiors are not common areas.
You may find this article helpful: https://cooperator.com/article/the-state-of-surveillance/full#cut
Also check the Habitat Magazine archives. Over the years they've run articles on Privacy Protocols and other surveillance topics.
I hope this helps.
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