CCTV for Apartment Buildings and Strata Complexes
Strata CCTV is a camera system installed on the common property of an apartment building or unit complex. It covers shared areas such as entries, car parks, bin stores and lifts, and it is usually owned and paid for by the strata company. Its job is to help residents feel safe and to give the strata manager and council of owners clear footage to review when something goes wrong.
Rest-A-Sured Security designs, installs and maintains strata CCTV across Perth and regional WA, whether your building is run by a strata company, a council of owners or a body corporate. We are WA owned, have 28 years in the security industry and hold security licence 09458. This page covers cameras. If your complex is planning a wider upgrade that also takes in alarms, access control and monitoring, see our strata security systems page.
Where Cameras Go in a Strata Complex
Security cameras for apartment complexes work best when they cover the points every person passes through and the shared spaces where incidents tend to happen. A typical strata camera design looks at:
- Building entries and lobbies: front doors, pedestrian gates and lobbies, positioned so faces are readable.
- Car parks and boom gates: vehicle entries, visitor bays and the far ends of parking aisles, positioned so number plates are readable.
- Bin stores: dumped rubbish and damaged bins are far easier to deal with when there is footage of when it happened.
- Mail rooms and parcel areas: useful for reviewing missing parcels and damaged letterboxes.
- Lifts and lift lobbies: coverage of lift cars and landings helps when damage is reported after residents move in or out.
- Perimeter and storage areas: side gates, fence lines, bike storage and storage cages that are easy to reach unseen.
Cameras are aimed at common property, not into private lots. The purpose is safety and incident review, not watching residents, cleaners or contractors as they go about their day.
Privacy, Signage and Footage Access in Common Property
Apartment building security cameras record the people who live in, work at and visit the building, so the committee should agree how the system will be used before the first camera goes up. The principles are simple:
- Cover common property only, and position cameras so they do not look into lots, windows, balconies or private courtyards.
- Put clear signage at entries and in covered areas so people know CCTV is operating.
- Limit who can view and export footage to named people, such as the strata manager and nominated council members.
- Agree how long footage is kept and when it can be released, for example to police after an incident.
In WA, the Surveillance Devices Act 1998 (WA) regulates the recording of private activities and private conversations, and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) can apply to how some organisations handle footage of identifiable people. We size recording to the retention period your committee agrees on and set up viewing access for the people you nominate, but we do not give legal advice. Confirm your obligations with your strata manager or legal adviser. For background, read our article on strata security and Australian privacy laws.
Our Strata CCTV Services
Every strata CCTV job starts with a walk of the property with the strata manager or council, mapping entries, car parks, common areas and any existing cameras or cabling.
Camera Design and Installation
We choose cameras rated for the light and weather each position actually sees, from a bright entry at midday to a dim corner of a basement car park. Recording is sized to the building and the retention period you need, and installation is coordinated with building management to keep disruption to residents low.
Remote Viewing for Authorised Users
Most systems we install support remote viewing from a phone. In a strata complex, that means the strata manager or a nominated council member can check an incident or find footage without a trip to the building. Access is limited to the people the strata company approves, and we show them how to use the system at handover.
Upgrading an Old DVR System
Older strata systems often run analogue cameras recording to a DVR in a comms cupboard, with low resolution footage that is hard to get off the recorder. We assess the existing cameras, cabling and recorder before quoting. Where equipment still has life in it and is compatible, it can often stay, and we recommend upgrades and integration rather than a full replacement.
Connecting CCTV to Access Control and Intercoms
Cameras are more useful when they work with the rest of the building. Strata CCTV can be integrated with strata access control, so an entry event can be checked against footage, and with intercom systems at the front door and car park gate. It can also be connected to 24/7 security monitoring through our affiliation with the largest independently owned grade 1 monitoring station in WA.
Other Security Services
Why Strata Committees Choose Rest-A-Sured for CCTV
- 28 years in the security industry: WA owned and operated since 1998, with security licence 09458.
- 5000 WA clients protected: across Perth metro and rural and regional WA.
- Proposals written for committees: a scoped written proposal that can be tabled at a council or general meeting.
- Upgrade before replace: we check what existing equipment can be kept before recommending anything new.
- Ongoing service: service checks, maintenance and upgrades from our base at 5/1 Irwin Rd, Wangara.
Strata CCTV Brands We Install and Service
For strata complexes we install and service CCTV from Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview, Hanwha Vision, Axis and Vivotek, including NDAA-approved cameras from Uniview and Vivotek, and cloud-managed CCTV from Verkada. Milestone video management can be integrated with Integriti access control, so cameras and building access work together. See every brand we work with on our security brands page.
What Our Clients Say
Rated 4.4 from 14 Google reviews.
★★★★★
“We recently had a new security system installed by Rest-A-Sured Security and couldn’t be happier with the service. Shaun and Emmett did a fantastic job from start to finish, professional, friendly, and very knowledgeable. They took the time to explain everything clearly and made sure the installation was neat and completed to a high standard.”
Mark A., Google review
★★★★★
“Highly recommend. Both Helene and Shaun are fantastic, we have engaged the services of RASS for several years across multiple properties, no job too difficult and always able to provide recommendations to save costs.”
Bo H., Google review
Strata CCTV FAQs
Who approves CCTV in a strata complex?
Usually the strata company, acting on a proposal from the strata manager or council of owners. Depending on the cost and your scheme’s by-laws, it may be decided at a council meeting or a general meeting, so check with your strata manager which applies. We provide a written proposal that can be tabled at either.
Can strata cameras look into private lots or balconies?
Strata CCTV should cover common property only. We position cameras to capture shared areas such as entries, car parks and bin stores, and to avoid looking into lots, windows and balconies.
Who can view strata CCTV footage?
Only the people the strata company authorises, usually the strata manager and nominated council members. Requests from residents or police should follow the footage policy the committee has agreed, so confirm the process with your strata manager.
How long is strata CCTV footage kept?
It depends on the recorder’s storage and the strata company’s policy. Retention is typically set somewhere between 30 and 90 days, and we size the recorder to the period your committee agrees on.
Can you upgrade our existing DVR instead of replacing everything?
Often, yes. We look at the existing cameras, cabling and recorder during the site visit and recommend upgrades and integration where the equipment is compatible, rather than defaulting to a full replacement.
Can strata CCTV be monitored 24/7?
Yes. Cameras can be connected to 24/7 monitoring through the grade 1 monitoring station we are affiliated with, which operates around the clock, independent of our office hours of Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.
How Strata CCTV Gets Approved and Installed
- Site walk: we inspect the complex with the strata manager or council and note existing cameras, cabling and problem areas.
- Written proposal: camera positions, recording, retention and any access control or intercom connections, set out so it can be tabled at a meeting.
- Committee decision: the strata company approves the work and agrees its signage and footage policy.
- Installation: our technicians install the system with minimal disruption to residents, coordinating access to common property with building management.
- Handover: building management and nominated committee members are shown how to use the system before we sign off.
For a strata CCTV proposal, call 08 9309 9500 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm) or send us your building details through our contact page.
Contact Us
08 9309 9500
5/1 Irwin Rd, Wangara, WA, 6065, Australia
Monday-Friday: 8am – 4pm
Get Started
If you are ready for security that does more for your business, Get in touch with the Rest-A-Sured Security team today.