HDB CCTV Rules: Are Home Cameras Allowed? (Singapore)

Yes — CCTV cameras are allowed at an HDB flat, but with important limits. Since May 2023, you can install a corridor-facing camera at your own flat without prior HDB approval, as long as it does not intrude on a neighbour’s privacy. Mounting a camera on common property — the corridor wall, ceiling or lift lobby — still needs Town Council authorisation, and pointing a camera at a neighbour’s door or windows can land you in a privacy dispute. This guide explains, in plain terms, where you can and cannot put a home camera in an HDB flat, and how to stay on the right side of the rules.

Are CCTV cameras allowed in HDB flats?

So, are CCTV allowed in HDB? Inside your own flat, you are free to install cameras as you wish. The questions about HDB CCTV arise the moment a camera points outside — into the shared corridor or towards other units. The short version: a camera that watches your own doorway is generally fine; a camera that watches someone else’s home or the common area at large is where approval and privacy rules kick in. Getting that distinction right is what keeps a home CCTV setup trouble-free.

The May 2023 change

Before May 2023, putting CCTV outside your HDB flat — even a corridor-facing camera — generally needed approval. Since then, that requirement was relaxed: you can install a camera at your flat facing the corridor without prior approval, provided it is there for your own security and does not unreasonably capture a neighbour’s private space. It made securing your own front door far simpler — but it did not remove the privacy limits below.

Where you can and cannot point a camera

The guiding principle is simple: monitor your property, not your neighbour’s. A camera on your own door watching your own entrance is fine; the same camera angled to stare into the unit opposite is not.

Common property needs Town Council approval

The area outside your flat — the corridor, walls, ceiling and lift lobby — is common property managed by your Town Council. Fixing anything to it, including a camera mounted on the corridor wall or ceiling, counts as installing a structure on common property and needs authorisation. Installing without approval can lead to a removal order and a fine of up to S$5,000. If you want a camera that covers more than your own doorway, speak to your Town Council first.

Privacy: the line you must not cross

Even where a camera is allowed, it must not intrude on others. A camera that captures a neighbour’s private space — their doorway, windows, or the inside of their home — can be treated as harassment. A 2023 High Court case confirmed that surveillance capturing a neighbour’s private space can amount to harassment, and a neighbour who feels a camera is unreasonably intrusive can complain to HDB, the Town Council, or under the Community Disputes Resolution framework, which can order the camera removed. Angle your camera to see only what you need — your own entrance — and this is easily avoided.

How to install home CCTV in HDB the right way

• Keep it on your own flat. Mount cameras on your own door, gate or within your unit — not on the corridor wall or ceiling.
• Point it at your own entrance. Frame your doorway, not a neighbour’s door or windows.
• Get Town Council approval for common areas. Anything fixed to common property needs authorisation.
• Be considerate. If a neighbour raises a concern, adjusting the angle early avoids a formal dispute.
• Check the current rules. Guidance is updated from time to time — confirm the latest position with HDB or your Town Council before installing.

Done sensibly, a home camera at your own door — often paired with a digital lock — gives you real security without stepping on anyone’s privacy.

Frequently asked questions

This is general guidance as of July 2026, not legal advice. HDB and Town Council rules can change and vary by estate — always confirm the current requirements with HDB or your Town Council before installing.