CCTV and your neighbours
The domestic CCTV rules in the UK, in plain words. Home CCTV that only sees your own property is your business. Once a camera sees past your boundary, into next door's garden, a shared drive or the pavement, data protection law applies to you.
Inside your boundary
It only sees your own property, which is where the ICO says home cameras should point. Other laws, like harassment, still apply to how any camera is used.
Domestic CCTV rules: what the ICO says you must do
If your CCTV records beyond your property boundary, the Information Commissioner's Office says you must:
From the ICO's home CCTV guidance. The ICO says this guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act, so check it for the latest.
Think about what area needs to be covered, and what images or sound will be captured. Don't capture more than you need.
Put up signs that say CCTV is in operation.
Store the footage securely, so only people who need it can see it.
Delete footage regularly, automatically or both.
Be able to respond properly when someone who appears in the footage asks for it.
If someone asks for the footage
Anyone who appears in your recordings can ask for a copy. The ICO says owners usually have to respond within one calendar month. If you delete footage on a short cycle, there's less to search and less to hand over.
Sound counts too
Most cameras can record sound, and voices are personal information. Recording conversations is more intrusive than recording pictures, so sound is usually best switched off. I'll ask you at the handover.
What I do about it
- Angle each camera at your property first, before anything else.
- Show what each camera can't see on the drawing, as well as what it can.
- Set privacy masks so the parts that aren't yours are blacked out of the recording.
- Set footage to delete itself after a period you choose.
- Talk you through the ICO's guidance at the handover.
What I can't do
I can't tell you your system is compliant. Data protection is the responsibility of whoever owns the camera, and only you know how you'll use the footage. The ICO's guidance is the place to check.
Worried about a neighbour's camera?
- 1
Talk to them
Explain why it worries you, ask what it records, whether they use privacy masks, and whether you can see an example. The ICO's suggested first step.
- 2
Write to them
The ICO has a template letter on its home CCTV page, including how to ask for footage you appear in.
- 3
Go to the ICO
If you're unhappy with the reply, you can complain to the ICO. The government has guidance on domestic CCTV too.
Sources
Checked 10 October 2026. This page explains the guidance in plain words. It isn't legal advice.
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