Ring Cameras in Condominiums

Ring doorbells are very popular among homeowners. In case you haven’t seen one, they look and sound like regular doorbells but contain a security camera inside and capture video and audio footage of passersby. When someone rings a Ring doorbell, the Ring owner receives a notification on their phone and can interact through their phone with the person ringing the bell. These features make it convenient for answering the door when you are not home as well as for providing enhanced security to your home. Many condo owners also feel they could benefit from installing a Ring doorbell. Unfortunately, the situation becomes significantly more complicated for them.

From a condo board perspective, installing a Ring doorbell may involve making alterations to the common area in the hallway outside of the unit. Most condo boards do not permit this. Moreover, the Ring camera will record footage of the hallway, a common area. Most condo boards do not allow individual owners to capture footage of the common area for their personal use.

In a freestanding home that is not part of an HOA community, a Ring camera captures the audio and video of passersby on the street. This is a public area without an expectation of privacy. In contrast, in a condominium building, a Ring doorbell creates a litany of legal privacy concerns. Here are just two examples:

• If a condo owner has a neighbor who lives directly across the hall, the camera will record the interior of the neighbor’s unit every time the neighbor opens open their door. While this alone is a privacy violation, let’s take it one step further: imagine there is an undressed person in the room that the camera records. This would fall under Florida’s law against voyeurism, which is a felony offense[1].

• Ring doorbells also capture audio. This means that even if the neighbors’ doors are shut and locked, a condo owner can still be recording their neighbors’ private conversations. According to Florida law, recording a private conversation without permission is a felony offense[2].

If a significant number of residents have security concerns and want to install Ring cameras for their own protection, one solution is engaging a security company and assessing the building’s current security technologies. The company can provide a recommendation on enhancing security with new or additional cameras, additional security guards, or other mechanisms. This will provide more security and ensure it is accomplished in a way that is acceptable to the condo board bylaws as well as Florida laws. CCM is experienced in partnering with security companies to identify and resolve security issues to make residents feel comfortable in their homes. Contact us today to learn more.

Consolidated Community Management (CCM) is a full-service property management company specializing in condominium and homeowner association management in Broward and southern Palm Beach Counties.  We are committed to working together with community Boards of Directors to develop management plans tailored to the unique requirements of each community and their residents.

CCM provides a quality of service that is unique to our industry and consistently delivers a distinct competitive advantage.  Our concentrated, extensive local presence and knowledge of community associations results in lasting partnerships and superior service.  We have built our industry reputation on employing the best in the business and assigning only a limited number of properties to each Property Manager Team.

Our team at Consolidated Community Management provides expert property management services at competitive prices.  Contact us today by calling (954) 718-9903 or clicking on ccmfla.com.

[1] The Florida Legislature. Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine (state.fl.us). Accessed March 25, 2022.

[2] The Florida Legislature. Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine (state.fl.us). Accessed March 25, 2022.