Multifamily Surveillance Buying Checklist
Multifamily proposals approved on price alone create resident complaints and retrofit costs. This checklist walks through the 22 questions we work through before signing off on a multifamily camera proposal.
Bottom Line
A multifamily proposal is ready when you can answer yes to every question below. Fair Housing compliance, package-room coverage, parking deck coverage, and property-manager mobile access are the priorities most often missed.
Our team runs this checklist on every multifamily proposal.
Best For
- Property managers
- Multifamily owners
- HOA boards
Not For
- Commercial office
- Warehouse
- Single-family residential
In This Guide
Multifamily-Specific Priorities
Fair Housing compliance, package-room coverage, parking deck coverage, resident-safety in after-hours common areas, property-manager mobile access, multi-property federation for chain operators, and written surveillance policy.
Recommended Multifamily Products
Anchor products for a multifamily deployment.
Hanwha
Hanwha QND-7082R 4MP Indoor IR Dome Camera
QND-7082R
Corridor, lobby, amenity default.
Hanwha
Hanwha PND-A9081RF 4K Indoor AI IR Dome IP Camera
PND-A9081RF
Package room identification.
Hanwha
Hanwha XND-6081RV 2MP Vandal-Resistant Dome Camera
XND-6081RV
Parking deck interior.
Axis
Axis P3277-LVE 5MP Outdoor AI IR Dome Camera - 03153-001
03153-001
Glass-front mixed lighting.
Hanwha
Hanwha XRN-3220B4 32-Channel 8K Network Video Recorder
XRN-3220B4
Mid-size property 32-channel.
The 22-Question Multifamily Surveillance Checklist
Walk through before approving any multifamily proposal.
Does the package room have 2 cameras (wide-view + focused)?
Highest-ROI multifamily position.
Is the main lobby covered at 2 angles?
Wide-view + identification.
Are elevator landings covered at every floor?
Multi-floor buildings need this.
Are stairwell top and bottom landings covered?
After-hours resident safety.
Is the parking deck covered with vandal-rated cameras?
Impact and humidity resistance.
Are amenity areas (pool, fitness, conference) covered?
Common-area deterrence.
Is there perimeter and dumpster coverage?
After-hours loitering, vandalism.
Is LPR at the vehicle gate specified (gated properties)?
Resident and guest tracking.
Is the camera mix Fair Housing-aware?
No targeted tracking; aggregated monitoring.
Are cameras excluded from unit interiors and balconies?
Landlord-tenant boundary.
Is there a written surveillance policy?
Who accesses footage, how, when.
Is signage at common-area entries specified?
Disclosure requirement.
Is audio recording disabled?
Private conversations in common areas.
Is the VMS mobile app strong (iOS and Android)?
Property-manager core feature.
Is role-based access configured?
Manager, maintenance, leasing, corporate.
Is retention specified (30 days default, 60-90 for high-incident properties)?
Storage sizing follows.
Is RAID 5/6 configured on NVR?
Single-drive failure should not cost footage.
Is cable-plant labor in the proposal?
30-40% of hardware cost.
Is commissioning labor included?
Per-camera tuning.
Is warranty explicit?
1-5 year commercial.
Is cybersecurity baseline configured?
Passwords, certs, firmware.
Is support contact post-install clear?
Who to call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I spend reviewing a multifamily proposal?
2-3 hours for a standard 100-unit property; half-day for larger or multi-building sites.
What's the most-missed item?
Package room dual-camera coverage. First-draft proposals often have one camera; two is the standard.
How do we handle Fair Housing in practice?
Aggregated common-area monitoring; no targeted tracking; documented policy; posted signage; standard role-based access.
Does audio need to be disabled?
Yes in most common areas. Private conversations, two-party consent states, and resident-privacy concerns all point to video-only.
What retention is right for multifamily?
30 days default; 60-90 days for high-incident properties or jurisdictions with specific retention requirements.
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. Got a list of products? Free BOM quote. Need help figuring out what to buy? Buy engineering time by the hour — $175/hour, qty 1 = 1 hour. Tell us about your project, we scope how many hours it needs, you purchase that quantity. Hardware buyers get up to one hour ($175) credited back against their order as a thank-you.