Can I point my security camera at the neighbour's yard in Albania?
No — a security camera is allowed, but not pointed at the neighbour's private space. The myth is "my camera, my house, I point it wherever I like" — no. Your camera is fine when it covers only your own property; the moment it catches the neighbour's yard, windows or entrance, you have crossed the line. Under Law no. 124/2024, a purely personal or family camera is exempt, but that exemption is lost when it films beyond your property — the neighbour's, the shared entrance or the street. Then you become a controller, obliged to post a warning sign, minimise the field, set a retention period and have a lawful basis (IDP Instruction no. 03, dated 30 April 2025). The criminal side is what surprises people: Criminal Code article 121 punishes recording words or images that expose a person's private life without consent with a fine or up to 2 years in prison. The camera must face your own property, not the neighbour.
📋 The rules
- A home camera is fine when it covers only your own property; it must not film the neighbour's private space.
- Law no. 124/2024: purely personal/family use is exempt, but the exemption is lost when the camera films beyond your property.
- Once beyond, you are a controller: warning sign, minimised field, retention period and a lawful basis (IDP, Instruction no. 03/2025).
- Criminal Code article 121: recording words or images that expose private life without consent = fine or up to 2 years in prison.
- The shared areas of a block (entrance, stairs) are the co-owners' property; cameras there need their decision.
🔓 Exceptions
- Covering only your own door or yard, angled away from the neighbours and with a warning sign, is allowed.
- A temporary recording for a concrete security incident, handed to the police, is a legitimate use.
- Common-area cameras with a co-owners' decision and with notice and retention as the IDP requires.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The part that surprises most people is the criminal one. When the camera records words or images that expose someone's private life without consent, Criminal Code article 121 provides a fine or up to 2 years in prison — so not merely a neighbour dispute. In parallel, the IDP can examine the complaint, order the footage repositioned or deleted and impose a proportionate measure; the maximum fine of about 1 billion lek (around 10 million euro) is the ceiling for serious breaches, usually of companies, not the typical tariff for a neighbour. The neighbour may demand removal or repositioning of the camera and civil damages for the invasion of privacy, and if you publish the footage, defamation and harm to reputation are added. In a block, cameras over the common areas need a co-owners' decision. The real cost starts with a badly aimed camera and ends in court.
📎 Official sources
- IDP · Commissioner (Instruction no. 03, dated 30 April 2025, on video surveillance) →
- QBZ · Criminal Code, article 121; Law no. 124/2024 →
- Ministry of Justice · consolidated Criminal Code →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I keep a security camera at home?
Yes, when it covers only your own property, such as your door and yard, and is angled away from the neighbours. The problem arises when its field catches the neighbour's yard, windows or entrance, because there the personal exemption is lost and the duties of the law apply.
Can I point the camera at the neighbour's yard?
No. Filming the neighbour's private space without consent breaches Law no. 124/2024 and may be an offence under article 121 of the Criminal Code, with a fine or up to 2 years in prison. The camera must be turned back onto your own property and its field limited.
The neighbour has aimed a camera at my house — what do I do?
First ask him to reposition it and, if he does not, you can complain to the IDP, which can order the footage repositioned or deleted. If your private life is invaded, there is also the criminal route under article 121 and a civil claim for damages.
Do I need a warning sign for the camera?
Yes, when the camera goes beyond the purely personal exemption and processes other people's data, the IDP requires a standard warning sign, a minimised field and a retention period. Instruction no. 03, dated 30 April 2025, sets out how video surveillance must be placed.
What about cameras in the shared entrance of a block?
The shared areas are the co-owners' property, so placing cameras there needs their decision and compliance with the IDP rules on notice and retention. A camera installed by a single resident over the common area can be challenged.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “camera pointed at neighbour”
- “filming the neighbours law albania”
- “criminal code article 121 privacy”
- “neighbour security camera complaint”
- “data protection cctv home”
- “where can i point my camera”