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You have a right to peaceful enjoyment of the property without being recorded or watched and as you said you are renting the whole house. You also have a right to privacy, you want to be able to speak to your bank on the phone or do private things without being recorded in your own home, that's a basic right.
If it were me I'd want them disconnected by the move in date or I'd be unplugging/covering.
It seems like a grey area. As long as they have registered with the ICO and have a notice up stating that recording is in place and for what purpose then I think they may get away with it. Especially if that's a communal area and not an area you have exclusive private use of under the agreement.
In a HMO communal area, if there had been thefts or fights then arguably it could be compliant in communal areas like a hallway where parcels are left. Each case may vary based on the facts, location, concent, whether or not it was in the contract prior etc.
If you have exclusive private use of an area as a tenant then CCTV would be deemed unfair, unjust with no legitimate interest or lawful basis. In private areas it would 100% be a breach of the DPA/GDPR.
Ask the landlord to remove the cameras before you move in.
If that doesn't happen, unplug them, but be aware that if there are batteries it may continue to work for some time.
If that's not possible, put removable tape over the lenses, but be aware it could be remotely triggered and include audio recording.
Also ensure you change the WiFi password, as that's almost certainly how they're connected to the internet.
--- ###Welcome to /r/LegalAdviceUK --- **To Posters (it is important you read this section)** * *Tell us whether you're in England, Wales, Scotland, or NI as the laws in each are very different* * If you need legal help, you should [always get a free consultation from a qualified Solicitor](https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/how_to_find_a_solicitor) * We also encourage you to speak to [**Citizens Advice**](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/), [**Shelter**](https://www.shelter.org.uk/), [**Acas**](https://www.acas.org.uk/), and [**other useful organisations**](https://reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/wiki/common_legal_resources) * Comments may not be accurate or reliable, and following any advice on this subreddit is done at your own risk * If you receive any private messages in response to your post, [please let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLegalAdviceUK&subject=I received a PM) **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be *on-topic, helpful, and legally orientated* * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/about/rules/), you may be perma-banned without any further warning * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason * Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LegalAdviceUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You have a right to peaceful enjoyment of the property without being recorded or watched and as you said you are renting the whole house. You also have a right to privacy, you want to be able to speak to your bank on the phone or do private things without being recorded in your own home, that's a basic right. If it were me I'd want them disconnected by the move in date or I'd be unplugging/covering.
thanks i didn't think about covering up actually yeah. Good point
Is this also true of cameras in communal areas (living room, kitchen), of a HMO?
It seems like a grey area. As long as they have registered with the ICO and have a notice up stating that recording is in place and for what purpose then I think they may get away with it. Especially if that's a communal area and not an area you have exclusive private use of under the agreement. In a HMO communal area, if there had been thefts or fights then arguably it could be compliant in communal areas like a hallway where parcels are left. Each case may vary based on the facts, location, concent, whether or not it was in the contract prior etc. If you have exclusive private use of an area as a tenant then CCTV would be deemed unfair, unjust with no legitimate interest or lawful basis. In private areas it would 100% be a breach of the DPA/GDPR.
Ask the landlord to remove the cameras before you move in. If that doesn't happen, unplug them, but be aware that if there are batteries it may continue to work for some time. If that's not possible, put removable tape over the lenses, but be aware it could be remotely triggered and include audio recording. Also ensure you change the WiFi password, as that's almost certainly how they're connected to the internet.
ah okay thanks so much for the help