Best Security Cameras for Apartments - Renter Picks by Spot

• Pick by spot: the eufy Video Doorbell E340 for the front door, the eufy Window Camera E10 for a window, the eufy Indoor Cam S350 or the budget-friendly eufy Indoor Cam E30 for rooms, and the eufy SoloCam S340 for a balcony.
• Check the lease before buying. A camera inside the unit is usually fine. One on the door frame, in a shared hallway, or on a balcony may need the landlord's approval, and asking first is easier than taking it down later.
• Choose a camera that needs no drilling, such as one that sits on a shelf or sticks to window glass. Drill holes can cost part of the security deposit, while a no-drill camera simply moves to the next apartment.
• Many cameras charge a monthly fee to replay recordings. With a microSD card or built-in memory, recorded video can be replayed with no monthly fee.

Renting changes how you secure your home. You may want to see who's at the door while you're at work or check on a pet that stays home alone, but you may not be allowed to drill, run new wires, or mount anything outside, and whatever you install has to move out with you when the lease ends.

In this guide, we match each part of an apartment, from the front door to the balcony, with a camera that works within those limits. Most of the picks come from our apartment security cameras, and we finish with what to check before you buy.

Best Security Cameras for Apartments of 2026

Where you point the camera decides what kind you need, because a front door, a window, a room, and a balcony each come with their own limits:

With the type narrowed down, the picks below name one camera for each spot, who it suits, and what to know before you buy.

Best for the Front Door - eufy Video Doorbell E340

At an apartment door, you want to know two things: who's knocking, and whether your package is still there. The eufy Video Doorbell E340 has a camera for each. One faces visitors, and the other points down at the doorstep. Its AI can also spot packages and familiar faces. It runs on a removable battery that fully charges in 5 hours, so there's no wiring to touch. Keep a spare battery, and you can swap it in with no downtime. Video, including color night vision up to 16 ft, saves 8 GB of built-in storage with no monthly fee. Not sure if a doorbell is allowed on your door? Our guide to the best doorbell camera for apartments covers that, plus more models.

Best for: Renters who want to see visitors and packages but can't change the doorbell wiring.

Keep in mind: Ask your landlord before mounting it on the door frame. It works on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.

Best for Windows - eufy Window Camera E10

Point a regular indoor camera through a window, and you often get glare and a lot of sky. The eufy Window Camera E10 is made for this spot. It sits flush against the inside of the glass. A wraparound design and anti-reflection stickers keep glare out of the picture. A built-in tilt angles the view down by up to 25°, so you see the sidewalk and your packages, not the sky. At night, MaxColor Vision™ keeps video in color without a spotlight. It sticks on in under a minute with no tools and peels off cleanly at room temperature. It records 24/7 to a microSD card (up to 256 GB, sold separately). AI detection for people, vehicles, and pets comes with no monthly fee. To compare it with other cameras that work through glass, see our window security camera guide.

Best for: Renters who want to watch the driveway, entrance, or street but can't drill into an outside wall.

Keep in mind: It's not made for looking down from a high floor, where blind spots grow. Skip it for frosted, patterned, or broken glass, or for anything within 0.5 m. It plugs in with a 10 ft USB-C cable, so you'll need an outlet nearby.

Best for Watching a Whole Room - eufy Indoor Cam S350

To watch a whole room with one camera, you need to see wide and up close at once. The eufy Indoor Cam S350 does both. Its two cameras show a 4K wide view and an up-to-8× zoomed view side by side. That way, you can watch the living room and check a detail by the door at once. It pans and tilts 360°, and AI tracking follows your pet or child. Patrol mode also checks spots you pick, like the entryway or the pet's bed. Set it on a shelf, and there's nothing to drill. Turn on Privacy Mode when you're home. Video saves locally, including 24/7 recording, with no monthly fee. Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 also lets it use 5 GHz for smoother live view.

Best for: Renters who want a clear view of a whole room, a pet, or a child.

Keep in mind: It doesn't work with HomeKit or Google Home.

Best Budget Indoor Pick - eufy Indoor Cam E30

If your budget is smaller, the eufy Indoor Cam E30 keeps what matters for watching a pet or a napping baby. It covers the room in 4K with a 360° panoramic view. Tap any spot in the panorama, and the view jumps there. Its on-device AI can tell people, pets, and crying apart, then follow the movement. When an alert comes in, you know whether it saw the dog or heard the baby. A built-in spotlight gives you color video at night. It records 24/7 to an SD card, and every feature works with no subscription. It's also the only pick here that works with Apple HomeKit (up to 1080p), plus Alexa and Google Assistant.

Best for: Renters who only need to watch indoors and want to spend less.

Keep in mind: It connects to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, and the SD card is sold separately.

Best for Balconies and Patios - eufy SoloCam S340

On a balcony or patio, power comes first, because there's often no outlet where you need the camera. The eufy SoloCam S340 runs on a removable 2.2W solar panel. Just 2 hours of direct sun a day keeps it powered, so you can set it up once and leave it. Its 3K wide-angle and 2K telephoto lenses zoom up to 8×, so you can see details up to 40 ft away. It pans 355° and tilts 60° to follow the people and vehicles its on-device AI detects. After dark, color night vision, a spotlight, and a built-in siren help scare off anyone hanging around. Footage saves to 8 GB of built-in storage with no monthly fee. On battery alone, it lasts up to three months.

Best for: Renters with a balcony or patio and no outlet nearby.

Keep in mind: Solar charging depends on the weather and how much sun the spot gets. After a few cloudy days, the battery may run lower, then recharge once the sun returns.

Best for Google Home Users - Google Nest Cam (Battery)

If your lights or speakers already run on Google Home, the Google Nest Cam (Battery) keeps your camera in that same app. You set it up and check it in the Google Home app, and it works with Hey Google and Alexa devices. It runs on a built-in battery and is weather-resistant, so you can use it inside your unit or outside on a balcony. Its magnetic mount sticks to a metal surface, and it can also go up with two screws. It records up to 1080p HDR with a 130° diagonal view. It includes 3 hours of event video history, and a Google Home Premium subscription extends that to up to 60 days.

Best for: Renters who already use Google Home.

Keep in mind: Looking back more than 3 hours needs a subscription, and the battery needs regular recharging.

Side by side, the six picks differ most in where they keep video and which Wi-Fi band they need, two things that decide whether you'll pay monthly and whether the camera stays connected at your spot:

The five eufy cameras keep video on built-in storage or a card, so you can review it without a monthly fee, while the Nest Cam needs a subscription to look back more than 3 hours. A good camera still has to fit your rental, though: your lease, walls, outlets, and Wi-Fi decide whether the spot you picked will work.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Security Cameras for Apartments

Four questions settle most renters' choices. Answer them in order, because each one narrows the next: a camera your lease rules out doesn't need a mounting plan.

Is a Camera Allowed in Your Apartment?

It's easy to put up a camera and only later learn that the lease doesn't allow it, which can mean taking it down and patching the wall. The answer usually depends on where the camera goes:

• Inside your own unit, aimed at your own space: usually fine, so you can move on to the next question.
• On the door frame, in a shared hallway, or on a balcony: ask your landlord before you buy, and keep the answer in writing.
• Facing a neighbor's door or window, or recording audio: aim the camera back at your own space, and check your state's rules before you turn audio recording on.

If your landlord says no to anything outside, a camera that works from inside a window can still show you the entrance. Our guide to apartment security camera laws for tenants covers the rules in more detail.

How Will You Mount It Without Damaging Walls?

Every mounting method leaves a different mark on a rental, so choose the one that leaves the least behind at the spot you have in mind:

• Freestanding on a shelf or table: nothing touches the wall. The Indoor Cam S350 is made to sit on a shelf and still turns 360° to see the room.
• Stuck to window glass: the camera mounts on the glass instead of the wall. The Window Camera E10 sticks to the inside of the window and peels off cleanly at room temperature.
• Adhesive pads on a painted wall: they avoid holes, but they can slip under a camera's weight or pull off paint when you remove them, so keep them for light cameras.
• Screws in a wall or ceiling: the most secure hold, but the holes can come out of your deposit, so ask your landlord first and agree on how they will be filled when you move out.

If you have the choice, a shelf or a window is the easiest way to keep your deposit intact.

Is There Power and Wi-Fi Where You Want It?

The spot with the best view is often the one farthest from an outlet and the router, and a camera that keeps losing power or signal leaves gaps right when something happens. Stand at the spot with your phone and check two things:

• An outlet within reach: a plug-in camera never needs charging, so start there.
• No outlet, but direct sun: a solar camera keeps itself charged. On a balcony, the SoloCam S340 needs 2 hours of direct sun a day to stay powered, and its battery alone lasts up to three months.
• No outlet and little sun: a battery camera still works, but plan to recharge it regularly.
• A weak Wi-Fi signal: if a video buffers on your phone at that spot, move the router closer before you mount anything, and check which band the camera uses, since some connect on 2.4 GHz only.

Do You Want to Save Footage Without a Monthly Fee?

Most cameras show live video for free; the monthly fee usually comes in when you want to watch recordings later. Whether you need to pay depends on how you plan to use the footage:

• To check in live, such as seeing who's at the door right now: you usually don't need a plan.
• To review events after they happen, such as finding out when a package went missing while you were at work: choose a camera that saves video to a microSD card or built-in storage, which keeps recordings with no monthly fee.
• To keep a copy that survives if the camera is stolen or broken: that's when a cloud subscription is worth paying for, because the video is stored away from the device.

If you mainly want to look back at deliveries and visitors, local storage is enough, and our guide to security cameras for renters with no subscription compares renter-friendly models that record this way.

Conclusion

Choosing a camera for an apartment comes down to two things: the spot you most want to watch and what your lease allows there. Once you know both, match the camera to the spot: the eufy Video Doorbell E340 for the front door, the Window Camera E10 for a view through the glass, the Indoor Cam S350 or Indoor Cam E30 for rooms, and the SoloCam S340 for a balcony.

FAQs

What is the best security camera for an apartment?

It depends on what worries you most, because no single camera covers every spot in an apartment. If packages keep disappearing, start at the door with a battery doorbell like the eufy Video Doorbell E340; if you want to check on a pet or the living room while you're out, start inside with an indoor camera like the eufy Indoor Cam S350. One camera for your biggest worry is enough to begin with, and you can add another spot later.

Do apartment cameras need a subscription?

Not always. It comes down to where the camera keeps its recordings: models that save to a microSD card or built-in memory let you replay footage for free, while cloud-only models often keep only a short history unless you pay for a plan. When two cameras look alike, check which features each one puts behind a subscription, such as how far back you can watch or whether person alerts work without it.

What is the best camera for an apartment front door?

A battery video doorbell, if your building allows one on the door. When your door opens straight outside, the eufy Video Doorbell E340 is a simple fit because it runs on battery and needs no new wiring. When it opens onto a shared indoor hallway, the hallway belongs to the building, so ask management first; if they say no, an indoor camera on a shelf facing your door from inside still records who comes in.

Can I install cameras on my condo balcony?

Often, yes, but check your lease and your HOA or condo association rules first, since a balcony camera may need approval. A balcony camera can provide a wider view of your surroundings and enhance security for outdoor spaces. Ensure the camera is securely mounted and aimed at your own space rather than a neighbor's door or window.

What is the best camera for a small apartment?

Usually one camera that turns is enough. In a studio or one-bedroom, a 360° camera such as the eufy Indoor Cam E30 placed in a corner can swing between the entry and most of the living space, so you don't need one for each wall. Add a second camera only if part of your home stays out of its view, such as a bedroom behind a closed door.