CCTV project: the points to nail down before the vote

A camera project is voted in ten minutes and commits the association to permanent obligations. Here is what must be written down beforehand, not after.

After damage or a theft in the bike store, the request always comes back: "we need cameras". The meeting votes, the installer fits the kit, and nobody deals with the obligations that come with a CCTV system — until the day a resident asks to see the footage concerning them.

The board does not decide in place of the meeting. But it is the board's job to prepare the file so that the resolution voted can actually be carried out.

The framework, in four principles

• Only common areas may be filmed. Cameras must capture neither private areas, nor the public highway, nor the front doors of homes.
• Footage retention is strictly limited — the order of magnitude applied by the French data protection authority is one month maximum.
• People filmed must be informed by visible signage, stating in particular their right of access to footage concerning them.
• Access to recordings must be restricted to designated people, with technical measures that guarantee it.

Depending on the areas covered, further formalities may apply. On a project of this kind, have the arrangement validated by a professional before the meeting.

The six questions to put to the installer

1. What is the exact field of each camera, with a plan? Ask for a layout drawing, not a sales description.
2. How are private areas excluded technically — software masking, fixed orientation?
3. Where is footage stored, and by what mechanism is it automatically deleted at the end of the period?
4. Who holds access, and how is it logged? A shared access "for the manager" with no named holder does not stand.
5. What is the procedure when a resident asks to see footage concerning them, and within what timeframe?
6. What happens when the manager or provider changes: who takes over access, and under what procedure?

A system where nobody knows who can view the footage is not a security measure: it is one more risk.

What the resolution must contain

A resolution reading "installation of a CCTV system for X" is not enough. Include the areas covered, the retention period chosen, the designated access holder and the annual maintenance budget — often forgotten, yet recurring.

On drafting a votable resolution, see the general meeting agenda, and on comparing offers, the quote comparison grid: maintenance terms vary enormously between installers.

After installation, the checks

Once a year the board checks that the signage is in place, that camera fields have not been altered, and that access still matches the designated people. It is a natural item for the annual building walk-through.

These obligations fall under data protection like the association's other processing: see data protection in condo associations.

Keeping a record of the commitments

Layout drawing, resolution voted, maintenance contract, annual checks: all of it must be findable years later, including after the board changes. With CoproHarmony these documents live in one place with their dates. Create your space for free.

A less intrusive measure often answers the same need: regaining control of building access.

Before investing, weigh what other measures achieve: see what a building can really do about theft.