The Short, Direct Answer
A landlord can install security cameras in common areas — building entrances, hallways, stairwells, parking lots, laundry rooms, mailrooms, and outdoor grounds. These are shared spaces where you don't have the same expectation of privacy you have inside your own unit, and landlords have a legitimate security interest in monitoring them, from package theft near mailrooms to break-ins in a parking garage. What's never allowed, in any state, is a camera inside your apartment, in a bathroom, or in any other space where you have a genuine expectation of privacy — including a camera outside positioned to see directly into your windows or a smart doorbell aimed past your door and into your living room.
Common Areas vs. Areas You Control
The line usually isn't "inside the building versus outside," it's who controls the space. A shared hallway, lobby, or courtyard is common area even though it's indoors, while a private balcony or patio attached only to your unit is a closer call — check how your lease describes your leased premises, since that affects whether your landlord treats that space as yours or as part of the building's common area for surveillance purposes. An assigned parking spot is generally still treated as common area for camera purposes even though it's "yours" to park in, because the surrounding lot is shared and the space itself isn't enclosed.
Video vs. Audio: Two Different Legal Standards
Video-only surveillance of a common area is generally legal without your consent, because there's no federal wiretapping issue when there's no recorded conversation. Audio is a different matter. Federal law makes it a crime to intercept an oral or electronic communication unless you're a party to it or one of the parties has consented (18 U.S.C. § 2511) — that's a "one-party consent" floor. Several states set a stricter bar: California, for example, requires the consent of every party to a "confidential communication" before anyone can record it, with real criminal penalties attached (Cal. Penal Code § 632). That means a hallway camera with audio recording could be legal in one state and a crime in another, depending on exactly where the building is. If you're not sure, treat any camera with a visible microphone or an audio-recording light as something worth asking the landlord about directly, since audio adds legal exposure that pure video doesn't.
What to Do If a Camera Feels Like It's Pointed at You
Not every hallway camera is a problem, but a camera angled specifically at your door, your window, or a space you'd expect to be private is worth raising. Some cities and counties have their own rules about notice or placement that go beyond state law, so check local ordinances in addition to your state's. Take a photo of the camera's position and note when you first noticed it, ideally from a couple of different angles so the field of view is clear, then raise the issue with your landlord or property manager in writing before assuming the worst. Ask specifically what the camera is meant to cover and whether it can be repositioned or angled down slightly — sometimes a camera installed for one purpose genuinely does end up positioned badly and gets moved once it's pointed out, without any need to escalate further.
When a Camera Crosses the Line
A camera actually inside your leased unit — installed by the landlord without your knowledge, in a smoke detector, vent, or anywhere else — is a serious violation with no legitimate justification, and is a matter for the police, not a polite email. The same goes for a camera positioned specifically to see into your unit through a window from outside, or a camera disguised as something else (a clock, an air purifier) placed anywhere a tenant would reasonably expect not to be recorded. These aren't gray areas the way common-area placement can be; they're the clearest examples of the "reasonable expectation of privacy" line a landlord isn't allowed to cross, regardless of what the lease says about the landlord's right to monitor the property generally.
Protecting Yourself
Review your lease and any building rules for a surveillance policy — some buildings post notice of cameras, and some states or cities require it. If you believe a camera is misplaced or being used to invade your privacy rather than for building security, document its exact location with a photo and date, put your concern in writing, and escalate to your local tenant rights organization or, for anything indoors and unauthorized, the police, if the landlord doesn't respond. Honestkey can review your lease for what it actually says about surveillance and monitoring, separate from the general security-camera rules covered here.