Home security for renters
Protect your home without losing your deposit, breaching a lease or leaving the next tenant with access to your cameras and accounts.
Control access
Lock doors and windows, keep keys secure, report defects promptly and never allow unknown visitors to follow you through a communal entrance.
Add portable layers
Use removable contact sensors, freestanding cameras, portable alarms, window vibration sensors and renter-safe lighting.
Get permission
Ask in writing before drilling, replacing locks, attaching an external doorbell, wiring an alarm or changing a communal area.
The renter’s golden rule
What you can usually improve without permanent work
| Security layer | Rent-friendly options | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Doors | Door viewer use, portable door alarm, removable open sensor | Never use a device that obstructs emergency exit or breaches fire rules |
| Windows | Removable contact/vibration sensor, closing checks, privacy film where permitted | Do not block designated escape windows |
| Cameras | Freestanding indoor camera facing your own entrance; removable mounts | Field of view, audio recording, neighbours, shared spaces and consent |
| Lighting | Plug-in timers, smart bulbs, battery lights inside your rented area | Shared corridors and exterior fixtures normally need permission |
| Alarm | Portable hub, contact sensors and keypad with removable fixings | Alarm permits, monitoring contract, siren rules and landlord access |
| Valuables | Inventory, insurance, tracker, cable lock or portable lockbox | Do not bolt a safe down without written approval |
Security priorities by property type
Apartment or flat
- Report faulty communal doors, gates and lights.
- Do not buzz in unknown visitors or allow tailgating.
- Check balconies, ground-floor windows and storage cages.
- Keep deliveries from accumulating in shared areas.
Shared house
- Agree who locks external doors and sets alarms.
- Do not share master account passwords.
- Use separate profiles and remove former housemates promptly.
- Secure your bedroom where the tenancy and fire rules permit.
Rented house
- Include sheds, garages, side gates and accessible windows.
- Keep ladders and tools secure.
- Ask before adding exterior cameras or lighting.
- Confirm who holds spare keys and alarm codes.
Before buying a video doorbell or camera
- Ask permission: exterior doors, frames and communal corridors may not belong solely to you.
- Minimise the view: capture your doorway and immediate approach rather than neighbours’ homes or shared living areas.
- Review audio: continuous sound recording can be more intrusive and may be regulated differently from video.
- Use privacy zones: mask irrelevant windows, pavements or adjoining property where the product supports it.
- Protect the account: use a unique password, multi-factor authentication and current firmware.
- Plan the exit: know how to remove the device, repair any marks, export evidence and delete your data when moving.
Privacy and surveillance rules differ substantially between countries—and within US states, Canadian provinces and Australian states or territories. A landlord’s approval does not replace compliance with privacy law.
When the landlord should act
Report defects in writing with photographs and dates. Examples include a door that will not latch, broken lock, insecure window, failed communal entry system, missing lighting or evidence that keys remain with an unauthorised person. Explain the immediate risk and ask for the repair timeframe. For urgent danger, use the relevant emergency service; do not wait for routine property management.
Moving-in security reset
- Test every door, window, gate, garage and storage lock.
- Ask who holds keys and whether locks were changed or re-keyed after the last tenancy.
- Reset permitted alarm codes, smart-lock users, intercom access and garage remotes.
- Confirm smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms are present and working as locally required.
- Change the Wi-Fi name, router administrator password and default credentials on your own devices.
- Document existing damage before attaching removable equipment.
Moving-out digital checklist
- Export any footage you are legally entitled and need to retain, then delete unneeded recordings.
- Factory-reset cameras, sensors, hubs, routers and smart locks you are leaving behind.
- Remove the address from apps, routines, geofencing and voice-assistant accounts.
- Revoke household members, installers and integrations; cancel monitoring or move the service.
- Remove equipment carefully and restore surfaces as agreed.
- Return every authorised key, fob and remote—and obtain confirmation.
Build a renter-friendly system
Answer a few questions about your property, entrances, household and budget, then map equipment without buying unnecessary hardware.
Get recommendationsAssess your risksCheck privacy and accountsPrivacy guidance and further reading
UK ICO: home CCTV · US FTC: privacy and security · Canada OPC: connected cameras · Australia OAIC: security cameras · Ireland DPC: domestic CCTV.
This guide provides general principles that apply across markets. It is not legal or tenancy advice. Check your lease and current local rules before altering a property or recording outside your private space.