My Neighbor’s Door Camera Faces My Apartment. Is That Legal? - The New York Times


My Neighbor’s Door Camera Faces My Apartment. Is That Legal?


Tell your landlord about the cameras, expressing your concern for the building and the walls. With any luck, that will solve the problem. If, however, the landlord decides not to get involved, your remaining options are limited, because the presence of a camera in a common hallway is not illegal.

As a tenant, you do not have the presumption of privacy in common areas of buildings, like hallways, elevators and lobbies. That lack of privacy extends to the area inside your apartment that is visible when you open the door. So while your neighbor may not be allowed to install a camera and point it directly at your door, your landlord can. “The courts have held that the landlord has a right to put a camera in the hallway and even disguise it,” Mr. Frazer said.

If the landlord doesn’t order your neighbor to remove the camera, your only recourse would be to speak with your neighbor directly. Talk to the neighbor, if you can, and ask if they would, at the very least, reposition the camera away from your door.

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