Multifamily Camera Placement Guide: Common Areas, Parking, Entries
Multifamily camera placement balances resident-safety coverage with Fair Housing awareness and aesthetic fit. This guide walks through practical placement by zone for apartment and multifamily deployments.
Bottom Line
Multifamily placement rules: main lobby at 10-12 ft with wide-view plus identification camera; corridors at 9-10 ft along-axis spacing every 80-120 ft; elevator and stair landings facing the doors from the opposite wall; package rooms with 2 cameras (wide + focused); parking decks at 12-15 ft on structural columns; amenity areas with fisheye at ceiling center.
Our team deploys multifamily surveillance across apartments, condos, and HOAs.
Best For
- Property managers
- Multifamily integrators
- HOA boards planning common-area cameras
Not For
- Single-family
- Commercial
- Warehouse
In This Guide
Lobby and Entry Placement
Main lobby wide-view: 10-12 ft mount on side wall; covers full lobby space.
Main lobby identification: 9-10 ft mount on wall opposite entry; captures faces entering. 4K AI for clear identification.
Interior elevator lobby: One camera facing elevator doors from the opposite corridor wall.
Secondary building entries: One camera per entry covering both interior and exterior sides of the door.
Glass-front handling: 120dB+ WDR for cameras facing glass or near direct sunlight.
Corridors and Stairwell Landings
Corridor spacing: One camera per 80-120 ft, mounted 9-10 ft, angled along the corridor axis.
T-intersections: One camera per leg of the T.
Elevator landings at each floor: One camera per landing, mounted 9-10 ft, facing elevator doors from the opposite wall.
Stairwell landings: Top and bottom at minimum. Every second landing for mid-rise buildings.
Do not place cameras inside elevator cabins. Privacy, vandalism, and maintenance-access concerns outweigh benefit.
Amenity Areas
Fitness center: One fisheye at ceiling center for full-space coverage. Use PNF-9010RV.
Pool deck: 1-2 outdoor domes covering the pool perimeter. No cameras in the water or pointed at pool-chair areas with bathers.
Conference / community room: One fisheye at ceiling center.
Game rooms and lounges: One fixed dome at entry, plus a fisheye if full-space coverage is needed.
Concierge and leasing office: One camera covering reception; one at the leasing-tour entry point.
Parking Deck Placement
Interior parking deck: Vandal-rated domes on structural columns at 12-15 ft. Angle along drive lanes, not at individual stalls.
Entry and exit points: One camera per entry with LPR if gated.
Elevator and stair access from parking: One camera at each parking-to-building access point.
Bike storage: One camera covering the bike-storage entry.
Motorcycle areas: Dedicated camera if the property has assigned motorcycle parking.
Package Room and Mailroom Placement
Package room entry: One wide-view camera covering the entry and the shelving or locker area.
Package room focused: One 4K AI camera at the specific pickup/delivery point. Captures facial detail and package-specific transfers.
Mailroom (if separate from package room): One camera covering the mailbox array and resident-pickup path.
Smart locker integration: If using Amazon Hub or similar, integrate camera events with locker events via VMS for full audit trail.
Common Multifamily Placement Mistakes
One camera per package room. Insufficient. Always two (wide + focused).
Cameras inside elevator cabins. Privacy, vandalism, maintenance concerns. Cover landings instead.
Missing stairwell landing coverage. Escape route from elevator cameras.
Parking deck cameras at individual stalls. Wastes pixels. Aim at drive lanes.
Cameras pointed at unit balconies or windows. Landlord-tenant boundary issue. Use VMS privacy zones.
Audio recording in common areas. Private conversations occur in mailrooms, fitness centers, etc.
No signage at common-area entries. Disclosure requirement in most jurisdictions.
Recommended Cameras by Multifamily Position
Cameras matched to placement scenarios.
Hanwha
Hanwha QND-7082R 4MP Indoor IR Dome Camera
QND-7082R
9-10 ft mount, 80-120 ft spacing.
Hanwha
Hanwha PND-A9081RF 4K Indoor AI IR Dome IP Camera
PND-A9081RF
Focused angle at package pickup area.
Hanwha
Hanwha XND-6081RV 2MP Vandal-Resistant Dome Camera
XND-6081RV
12-15 ft on structural columns.
Hanwha
Hanwha PNF-9010RV 12MP 360˚ Fisheye Camera
PNF-9010RV
Ceiling center of fitness, conference, community rooms.
Axis
Axis P3277-LVE 5MP Outdoor AI IR Dome Camera - 03153-001
03153-001
Glass-front mixed lighting.
Hanwha
Hanwha ANO-L7012R 4MP Wide-Angle Low Light Outdoor Bullet IP Camera
ANO-L7012R
Perimeter, dumpster, pool exterior.
Also Consider
Gated-property LPR and mid-size NVR.
Hanwha
Hanwha XNO-6120R/LPR 2MP License Plate Recognition Camera
XNO-6120R/LPR
Vehicle entry LPR for gated properties.
Hanwha
Hanwha XRN-3220B4 32-Channel 8K Network Video Recorder
XRN-3220B4
32-channel mid-size property NVR.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I handle unit doorways in common corridor cameras?
Corridor coverage is standard; use VMS privacy zones to exclude unit interiors if visible through an open door.
Can we put cameras inside elevator cabins?
No. Cover landings instead.
How do I cover the pool deck without pool-chair privacy issues?
Cameras covering the pool perimeter and entry path, not the seating area. Fisheye at deck ceiling works.
What mount height for parking deck cameras?
12-15 ft on structural columns. Angle along drive lanes.
How many cameras at the package room?
Two minimum: one wide-view, one focused on the pickup/delivery area.
No Bots, Just Experts
No bots, just experts. Free pre-sales support for every customer — product questions, BOM quotes, compatibility checks, price confirmation — typically answered within one business day. Paid services available like full system design, remote installation, and more. Know what you need? Send us your BOM, free quote. Need camera placement designed from a floor plan? That is engineering work — $175 per hour, qty 1 = 1 hour. Typical single-site placement runs 3 to 4 hours. We scope the hours with you before you purchase. Hardware buyers get up to one hour ($175) credited back against their order as a thank-you.