Don’t install your home security camera in these 7 places

If you need to keep an eye on the most important parts of your home, a new security camera or video doorbell is the perfect solution. You can install a wireless model like the Google Nest Cam almost anywhere—but that doesn’t mean you should. Putting one of these popular devices in the wrong place is just asking for trouble, and it’s not always obvious which spots are the worst.

Installing a security camera in an inconvenient location can lead to false alarms and poor live views. It may not capture details and, in the worst case, can lead to complaints from angry neighbors. We’ve got your back when it comes to the best wireless cameras – now we’ll show you what not what to do during installation.

Read more: 5 places you should never place your Amazon Echo

Spot 1: Places with the “expectation of privacy”

While you need your security camera to protect your home, the last thing you want is for it to compromise the safety of others. Don’t risk breaking the law (and provoking lawsuits) by placing a camera where people have what the law considers reasonable expectation of privacy.

In practice, do not place a security camera in a bathroom, bedroom, or similar area where you expect a lot of privacy. If you must place a camera in one of these areas (for example, to monitor your bedroom in an apartment building situation), make sure the camera is visible and everyone in the house knows about it.

For outdoor cameras, it is permissible to capture public areas such as the sidewalk or the street that passes by your house, since these areas may not provide a great deal of privacy.

Remember that your camera gives you a sense of security and serves as protection for you and your home. Make sure your cameras are not installed in locations where they will be ineffective or, worse, compromise the safety of others.

Spot 2: Direct view of the neighboring property

In addition to protecting any private areas on your property, be careful not to position your security cameras so that they partially cover a neighbor’s windows or yard. Legally, these are areas where your neighbors also have a right to privacy, and lawsuits have been filed over much less.

For this reason, you should also avoid having cameras appear to be pointing at a neighbor’s lawn or looking into their window. Many modern security cameras have the ability to create “privacy zones” that block certain areas from the camera’s live view or recording. If a neighbor complains, you may be able to show them your privacy zones to prove that no part of their home is being recorded.

Spot 3: Hard to see places

You might be tempted to point cameras at hard-to-see places in your home. There’s an intuitive reason for this: if you can’t see a place from your windows or doors, you’ll feel like someone is hiding there. You might think these hidden areas are a burglar’s favorite places to break in.

In reality, however, most burglars enter a home through the most obvious routes. According to data from security company ADT, 34% of burglars enter through the front door and 22% use a ground floor window. The most obvious entry points are the most common ways to break in. Pointing a camera at these areas can help prevent a break-in and identify anyone who tries to break in.

If you put a security camera in a back alley or behind your house, it might look like you’re catching someone sneaking around, but you’re more likely to miss the action. If you really need to monitor the hidden spots, look for a package that includes multiple cameras that you can install in multiple locations, such as this package with Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight cameras.

Spot 4: Behind obstacles

This may sound like a no-brainer, but camera obstructions aren’t always so obvious. Outdoors, this may mean leaving space for branches to sway in the wind. Be careful with fast-growing plants that require you to move your camera every year or two, or branches that get much heavier when laden with spring leaves/flowers and block the view. A quick cut can help with installation.

Also consider your camera’s viewing area indoors. Will your camera see everything you want when interior doors are opened and closed? You also don’t want to place the camera where a pet might interact with it. If you place it on a shelf, will your cat knock it off? Will an energetic dog racing through the house knock it over or change its angle? The same goes for running toddlers.

Find a spot that gives you a good view of the area you want to observe and is not likely to be bumped into by you, a guest, or your four-legged friend.

Spot 5: Through a window

We know it’s tempting to pay less for an indoor-only camera and instead place it by the window so it has a good view of the outside. However, there are two big problems with this attempt.

First, windows have a glare problem even when the camera is pressed close to the glass, so the camera view often doesn’t work when the sun is at a certain angle or when it’s dark outside. Over time, dust on the window causes similar problems.

Second, the angles and areas you can see through windows are very limited. Cameras rarely provide a good view of key access points or a comprehensive view of a yard or driveway.

Spot 6: Looking up to the sky

This doesn’t mean deliberately aiming a camera to capture only the vast blue beyond – we’re talking about cameras with wide fields of view that include a significant portion of the sky. This can cause problems when the sun is overhead and the camera glares or obscures details with its brightness. Plus, frequent, direct sunlight increases the risk of UV damage and wear over time.

To avoid these problems, point your camera away from the sky and focus on views below the roof/tree/hill line. Also, try to place the cameras in an area where they are at least partially protected by shade.

7. Near ventilation openings or heaters

We’ve encountered this issue in some of our testing and sample experiments, so we want to warn you: Don’t place cameras near or above exhaust vents or heat sources. This includes space heaters, fireplaces, fire pits, gas heater exhaust vents, dryer exhaust vents, and more.

Vents and open heat sources will contaminate the camera and its lens, while the higher temperatures in wireless models are harmful to the battery. The result is poorer performance and a shorter lifespan for your camera. And if you use adhesive joints for your camera, a nearby heat source can destroy the adhesive and cause the camera to crash (another reason to avoid direct sunlight).

Bonus tip: There is no right or wrong height for most security cameras, although there are many recommendations. A higher vantage point provides a better view of a driveway or large yard, but we find that a wide field of view (at least more than 130 degrees) works just as well, if not better. A rechargeable camera should usually be placed in a location that is easy to reach when the battery needs servicing. And video doorbells are usually installed about 4 feet from the bottom of the door frame.

For more information, see other Home security mistakes you can makeLearn how to Stop porch pirates, Reduce the risk of car break-ins And What you should keep in a safe.