A car nobody recognises in the residents’ car park. Damage with no evidence of who caused it. We got a website enquiry asking about CCTV for a block of flats. They needed cover for a car park, communal entrances and a set of security problems that will be familiar to a lot of residential developments – unauthorised parking, occasional vandalism, anti-social behaviour and concerns about theft.
Without CCTV there was rarely any evidence of what had happened, and nothing visible to discourage it from happening again. Because the residents had already taken over management of the building through their RTM company, the directors were able to consider CCTV as part of the management of the building.
Contrary to what many people might assume, CCTV for a block of flats is not quite the same as fitting a security camera to somebody’s home. The system is being installed for a managed residential building and covers shared areas rather than one private household, so there are additional things to think about – from privacy and signage to who can access the footage and how the system connects to the internet.
CCTV for a block of flats is not the same as home security
Eastern Security is a local, family-run security company that cares about your security. We are SSAIB certified for CCTV, with over 25 years of experience in the design and installation of commercial CCTV systems across Essex.
Our engineer Ian W. carried out a free site survey with some of the RTM directors, walking the communal areas, entrances and car park and talking through what the directors wanted the system to achieve. The design and the pricing came out of that visit rather than off a shelf.
The aim was never to fit as many cameras as possible. It was to cover what genuinely needed covering, while respecting the privacy of residents and neighbouring properties and allowing the ability to add more cameras later if required.
“Ian W came out to carry out the initial site survey and took the time to listen carefully to what we needed. He then came up with a sensible CCTV system design and clear pricing based around the particular requirements of the building and car park.”
— Director, Recreation Court RTM
The questions came before the cameras
An RTM company is making decisions that affect other leaseholders’ homes and the areas they share. So the directors had questions that went well beyond resolution and storage.
They wanted to understand data protection and CCTV privacy, what signage was needed, how camera views should be positioned, how access to recorded footage would be controlled, and how to cover the areas that mattered without unnecessarily capturing neighbouring homes.
Privacy masking was used where needed to block parts of the camera view that did not need to be recorded, such as areas relating to neighbouring properties.
One resident also asked whether the cameras would record sound as well as pictures. The microphones are disabled, so the system records images only. That was a deliberate decision rather than an oversight. The Information Commissioner’s Office says recording conversations can be particularly intrusive and difficult to justify, and that CCTV audio should normally be switched off unless there is a specific need for it.
We took the time to answer the directors’ questions and explain how the system would work before anything was installed.
“Ian and the Eastern team were extremely helpful and patient in answering our many questions and making sure we understood how everything would work before the installation went ahead.”
— Director, Recreation Court RTM
Getting the system online
One practical problem came up that catches a lot of blocks out. The system needed an internet connection so authorised directors could view it remotely, and arranging broadband for the communal parts of a building is not like ordering it for a resident’s flat.
Communal areas often have no address a provider can work with, no letterbox for the equipment to arrive at and no obvious account holder. Sorting that out can take longer than the installation itself.
The answer here was a router with a mobile SIM card rather than a fixed line. No address required, no waiting for an engineer appointment and the system was online the same day. It is not right for every block – signal matters and continuous cloud upload would need a far bigger data allowance than occasional remote viewing – but for a small block it is often the quickest route.
Two visits turned into one
The equipment needed a power socket that did not yet exist. Electrical work sits outside our scope, so rather than leaving the directors to find a qualified electrician and arrange a separate visit, we brought in an independent NICEIC-registered contractor to attend on the same day.
“Eastern were able to arrange for a local NICEIC electrical contractor to attend at the same time and carry out the electrical work, which saved us having to organise a separate job ourselves and made the whole process much easier.”
— Director, Recreation Court RTM
The installation itself got the same attention. We used stainless steel fixings for the signage and equipment, so nothing rusts and streaks down the brickwork over the years. We also used fire-rated metal clips for the cabling, including inside the trunking, to support compliance with the relevant BS 7671 requirements concerning premature collapse of wiring systems in a fire.
“We particularly appreciated the attention to detail, including the use of stainless steel fixings for the signage and installation so that they should not rust over time. Plus fire-rated clips within the trunking.”
— Director, Recreation Court RTM
At handover the block received an SSAIB certificate of conformity, confirming the system had been installed to the relevant standard.
What the directors said about the CCTV for their block of flats
The board’s verdict arrived in a Google review.
“We are very pleased with the finished system and would happily recommend Eastern Security to other RTM companies, residential management companies and small blocks of flats looking for a professional CCTV installation for their building, communal areas or car park.”
— Director, Recreation Court RTM, Leigh-on-Sea
A second director put it more briefly.
“CCTV looks amazing, they did a really good job!!”
– Another Director, Recreation Court RTM
Thinking about CCTV for your block of flats?
CCTV for a residential block involves more than choosing where the cameras go. As an RTM director or a residential management company, you also have privacy, signage, camera views, footage access and the practical constraints of the building to work through.
If you are responsible for a block of flats and want to improve security around the communal areas, entrances or residents’ parking, we will come and look at it. Call us on 01702 467850 to arrange a free site survey – there is no obligation to proceed.
You can read more about our commercial CCTV systems, or about CCTV in blocks of flats managed by a third-party agent.
