Can I put a camera outside my home?
Conditional: a camera filming only your own private space is fine; once it captures the street or a neighbour, no. As long as the camera records exclusively your own space (yard, your apartment's entrance), the GDPR household exemption (Art. 2) applies. The moment it records the pavement, street, common areas or a neighbour's property, you become a data controller and the rules of the Data Protection Authority (HDPA, Directive 1/2011) apply. A doorbell/entrance camera is allowed only for the minimum entrance area, ideally without audio. Common areas need a general-assembly decision, a defined controller and signage. In short: aim the camera at your own space only, post a sign, don't record audio.
📋 The rules
- Your own space only: GDPR household exemption
- Street/pavement/neighbour: prohibited by default
- Doorbell/entrance: only the minimum area, no audio
- Common areas: assembly decision + controller + signage
- Signage required wherever the exemption doesn't apply
🔓 Exceptions
- Narrow self-defence (Directive 1/2011, Art. 6): after documented attacks
- Audio recording: essentially never allowed
- A fully enclosed yard seen by no one: within the exemption
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Once the camera reaches beyond your space, you become a data controller and the HDPA can impose a fine: in a known decision €8,000 was imposed on a homeowner with a 360° camera covering a square, while the GDPR ceilings (up to €20M / 4%) apply in theory. A stop/limit order on the recording is usually added too. To stay compliant: aim the camera at your own space only, limit the entrance field of view, post an information sign, don't record audio, and for common areas get an assembly decision naming a controller. Beware the myth "I can freely film outside for security" — only the narrow self-defence exception applies.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I install a camera that films the street?
Not by default. The moment the camera records the street, pavement, common areas or someone else's property, the GDPR household exemption falls away and you become a data controller. Only the narrow self-defence exception applies, after documented attacks and with a founded fear of repetition.
What about a doorbell camera?
An entrance or doorbell camera is allowed only for the minimum area needed to see who is ringing, ideally without audio. It shouldn't sweep the street or the neighbour's door. It's also good practice to display an information sign that the area is filmed.
Do I need signage?
Yes, wherever the household exemption doesn't apply. Under the EDPB guidelines, there must be an information sign warning that the area is under video surveillance, identifying the controller and explaining how data subjects can exercise their rights.
Can I put a camera in the building's common areas?
Only with a decision of the owners' general assembly, a defined data controller and signage. The camera must cover only the necessary common areas (e.g. the entrance), not private doors or the street, and must not record audio.
What's the fine?
In a known decision the HDPA imposed €8,000 on a homeowner with a 360° camera covering a square. The general GDPR ceilings (up to €20M or 4% of turnover) apply in theory, but for home cameras fines usually run to a few thousand euros, plus a stop order.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “home security camera law greece”
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- “signage camera household exemption”