North Carolina Landlord-Tenant Recording Laws: Cameras and Consent

North Carolina is a one-party consent state under N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-287, so both tenants and landlords may record any conversation they join without notifying the other party. Landlords may generally install cameras in common areas and on building exteriors. A camera inside a tenant's unit can lead to criminal charges under N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-202 if it secretly views an occupied room, captures private areas where the tenant expects privacy, or is installed for a sexual purpose, and entering to plant one can support civil claims for trespass and invasion of privacy.

The relationship between landlords and tenants in North Carolina often involves questions about recording. Tenants want to know if they can record conversations with their landlord about repairs, lease disputes, or security deposits. Landlords want to know where they can install security cameras on their rental properties. Both sides need to understand the rules that govern recording in rental housing.

North Carolina does not have a specific landlord-tenant surveillance statute. Instead, recording in rental properties is governed by the state's one-party consent wiretapping law, the voyeurism statute, general privacy principles, and the landlord-tenant provisions in N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 42.

Tenant Rights to Record

Can You Record Your Landlord?

Yes. Under North Carolina's one-party consent law (N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-287), you can record any conversation you participate in without telling the other person. This includes conversations with your landlord, property manager, maintenance staff, and leasing office employees.

Common situations where tenants record landlord interactions include:

• Maintenance requests and follow-up: Recording verbal promises to make repairs creates a record that can be used in court if the landlord fails to follow through
• Lease disputes: Recording discussions about lease terms, rent increases, or security deposit issues preserves the exact words used by both parties
• Move-in and move-out inspections: Recording the inspection documents the property's condition and can prevent disputes about security deposit deductions
• Harassment or illegal entry: If your landlord enters your unit without proper notice or harasses you, recordings provide evidence for legal action
• Eviction discussions: Recording conversations about eviction threats or notices preserves the landlord's statements for potential legal proceedings

Recording Move-In and Move-Out Walkthroughs

Video recording your move-in and move-out walkthrough is one of the most valuable steps you can take as a tenant. A video walkthrough:

• Captures the condition of every room, appliance, fixture, and surface
• Documents any pre-existing damage that might otherwise be attributed to you
• Creates a time-stamped record that is difficult to dispute
• Preserves evidence for security deposit disputes under N.C. Gen. Stat. 42-52

When conducting a recorded walkthrough, narrate what you see as you go, noting any damage, wear, or issues. This audio narration, combined with the video, creates a comprehensive record.

Installing Your Own Security Cameras

Tenants can install security cameras inside their own rental units for personal security purposes. Because you have a right to privacy inside your unit, monitoring your own living space is permissible. However, consider these guidelines:

• Indoor cameras: You can install cameras inside your unit to monitor entry points, pet activity, or general security. These cameras are on your own leased premises.
• Doorbell cameras: Many tenants install doorbell cameras to monitor who comes to their door. Check your lease for provisions about modifications to the exterior of the unit.
• Exterior cameras: Mounting cameras on the exterior of the building typically requires landlord permission, as the exterior is common property controlled by the landlord.
• Audio recording: If your cameras record audio, the one-party consent rule applies. Audio recording of conversations you are not part of could violate the wiretapping statute.

Review your lease agreement before installing cameras. Some leases prohibit modifications to the property or require landlord approval for additions.

Landlord Rights to Install Cameras

Where Landlords Can Place Cameras

Landlords who own rental properties can install security cameras in certain areas for property protection and tenant safety. Permissible locations typically include:

• Building exteriors: Monitoring the front entrance, back entrance, and sides of the building
• Parking lots and garages: Surveillance of shared parking areas for theft prevention and safety
• Common hallways and lobbies: Monitoring shared spaces in apartment buildings
• Laundry rooms and storage areas: Surveillance of shared utility spaces
• Property perimeter: Monitoring fences, gates, and property boundaries

Where Landlords Cannot Place Cameras

Landlords face strict limitations on camera placement. The following locations are off-limits:

• Inside tenant living spaces: Tenants have a reasonable expectation of privacy inside their rental units. A landlord who secretly peeps into a room a tenant occupies, including through a hidden camera, can be charged under N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-202: a misdemeanor for secret peeping, rising to a Class I felony when a device is installed or used for a sexual purpose or captures images of private areas without consent where the person expects privacy
• Bathrooms: Secretly recording in any bathroom, whether inside a unit or in a common area, can violate the voyeurism statute
• Bedrooms: Cameras in or aimed at bedrooms can support an invasion-of-privacy claim; the North Carolina Court of Appeals recognized the intrusion tort in Miller v. Brooks (1996), a case over a camera secretly installed in a bedroom, and depending on the facts they can also bring charges under N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-202
• Private patios and balconies: If a tenant has an enclosed or screened private patio or balcony, the landlord should not aim cameras directly at this space
• Windows of rental units: Secretly peeping through a tenant's window into an occupied room is a crime under N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-202(a), and doing it with a camera and intent to capture an image is a more serious offense under 14-202(c)

Audio Recording by Landlords

If a landlord's security cameras include microphones, the audio recording must comply with N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-287. The landlord needs consent from at least one party to any conversation being recorded. Cameras in common areas that capture tenant conversations could violate the wiretapping statute if the landlord is not a participant in those conversations.

Best practice: Landlords should disable audio recording on all security cameras or limit audio-capable cameras to areas where the landlord regularly interacts with tenants (such as a leasing office with posted notice).

Lease Provisions About Recording

What Landlords Should Include in Leases

Landlords who install security cameras on rental properties should include a clear disclosure in the lease agreement. The disclosure should address:

• Camera locations: Identify where cameras are installed on the property
• What is recorded: Specify whether cameras record video only or video and audio
• Data retention: State how long recordings are stored before being overwritten
• Access to footage: Explain who can view the recordings and under what circumstances
• Purpose of surveillance: Describe the security and safety purposes for the cameras

Including a camera disclosure in the lease provides the landlord with documentation that the tenant was aware of the surveillance before signing.

What Tenants Should Look For

Before signing a lease, tenants should:

• Ask whether security cameras are installed on the property
• Request the specific locations of all cameras
• Verify that no cameras are inside the rental unit
• Ask whether cameras record audio
• Review any surveillance provisions in the lease
• Request copies of the landlord's camera policy

Security Deposit Disputes and Recording Evidence

How Recordings Help in Deposit Disputes

Under N.C. Gen. Stat. 42-52, landlords must return the deposit with a written, itemized list of any deductions no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends and the unit is handed back; if the amount of the claim cannot be determined by then, the landlord must give an interim accounting within 30 days and a final accounting within 60 days. Recordings can play a critical role in deposit disputes:

• Move-in video: Shows the condition of the unit when you took possession, rebutting claims of damage you did not cause
• Move-out video: Documents the condition when you left, proving you returned the unit in acceptable condition
• Recorded conversations: Preserve any verbal agreements about what constitutes normal wear and tear or what repairs the landlord agreed to handle

Filing a Claim

If your landlord improperly withholds your security deposit, North Carolina law allows you to sue in small claims court (magistrate court) for the return of the deposit. Recordings, including video walkthroughs and recorded conversations, are admissible evidence that can support your claim.

Illegal Entry and Recording

North Carolina's Entry Notice Requirements

North Carolina does not have a statewide statute specifying how much notice a landlord must give before entering a rental unit. Unlike many states that require 24 or 48 hours' notice, North Carolina relies on:

• Lease terms: Most well-drafted leases specify a notice period (typically 24 hours)
• Common law: Landlords have an implied right of entry for repairs and emergencies, but not unrestricted access
• Reasonable notice: Courts generally expect landlords to provide reasonable advance notice before non-emergency entry

Recording Unauthorized Entry

If you suspect your landlord is entering your unit without permission or proper notice, you can:

• Install a camera inside your unit that monitors the entry door
• Use a doorbell camera to record who approaches and enters
• Set up a camera-activated notification system to alert you when someone enters

Recordings of unauthorized entry can support claims for:

• Lease violations
• Invasion of privacy
• Constructive eviction (if the unauthorized entry pattern is severe enough)
• Restraining orders in extreme cases

Airbnb, Vacation Rentals, and Short-Term Stays

Disclosure Requirements for Short-Term Rental Hosts

Hosts who rent through Airbnb or Vrbo must follow platform camera rules that are stricter than state law. Airbnb (since April 30, 2024) and Vrbo require hosts to:

• Disclose every outdoor security camera and any noise monitor in the listing
• Specify the location of each device
• Never place cameras anywhere inside the listing, even disclosed ones
• Comply with all applicable state and local laws

Guest Privacy Rights

Short-term rental guests in North Carolina have the same reasonable expectation of privacy as long-term tenants inside their rented space. A host who uses hidden cameras to secretly peep into rooms of a vacation rental unit can face criminal charges under N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-202 and civil liability for invasion of privacy.

Cameras monitoring the exterior of a vacation rental property (driveway, front porch, backyard) are generally permissible when properly disclosed.

North Carolina Recording Laws by Topic

Phone Call Recording | Audio Recording | Video Recording | Workplace Recording | Recording Police | Security Cameras | Recording in Public | Landlord-Tenant | Dashcam Laws | Schools | Medical Recording | Voyeurism & Hidden Cameras

Back to North Carolina Recording Laws

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record my landlord in North Carolina?

Yes. Under North Carolina's one-party consent law (N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-287), you can record any conversation you participate in without telling your landlord. This includes recording discussions about repairs, lease terms, security deposits, and any instances of harassment or illegal entry.

Can my landlord install cameras inside my apartment in North Carolina?

In practice, no. Tenants have a reasonable expectation of privacy inside their rental units. No North Carolina statute bans a camera inside a unit as such, but a landlord who secretly peeps into a tenant's rooms, including through a hidden camera, or captures private areas where the tenant expects privacy can face criminal charges under the voyeurism statute (N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-202). An audio-capable device can also violate the wiretap law (N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-287), and entering a unit to plant a hidden camera can support civil claims such as trespass or invasion of privacy. Landlords should keep cameras to common areas like hallways, lobbies, and parking lots.

Should I video record my move-in walkthrough in North Carolina?

Yes, it is highly recommended. A video walkthrough documents the condition of the unit at move-in and can prevent security deposit disputes. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. 42-52, landlords must itemize security deposit deductions, and your video evidence can challenge improper charges for pre-existing damage.

Can I install a doorbell camera on my rental unit in North Carolina?

You can install a doorbell camera, but check your lease for provisions about exterior modifications. Some landlords require approval before tenants attach anything to the exterior of the building. Indoor cameras monitoring your own unit are generally permissible without landlord approval.

What should I do if my landlord enters my unit without notice in North Carolina?

Document the unauthorized entry by installing an interior camera that monitors your entry door or using a doorbell camera. North Carolina does not have a specific statutory notice requirement, but most leases require 24 hours' notice for non-emergency entry. Recordings of unauthorized entry can support claims for lease violations, invasion of privacy, or constructive eviction.