Can you install a camera that films your neighbour's yard?
You cannot — and “my house, my camera” is no defence. Filming a neighbour's door or windows is a gross breach of the right to privacy: it records when the neighbour comes and goes and who visits them, and that is information about their private life, which may not be collected without consent. The household exemption is narrow: only surveillance covering what happens at your own front door counts as being for private and household purposes. If the camera covers the neighbour's property, a shared yard or the street, the household exemption no longer applies — you become a data controller with all the GDPR duties: a lawful basis, a warning sign and a retention limit. Supervision lies with the Data State Inspectorate.
📋 The rules
- A camera may cover only your own property
- Filming a neighbour's door is a breach
- The household exemption is narrow
- Covering the street makes you a data controller
- Supervised by the Data State Inspectorate
🔓 Exceptions
- A smart door viewer showing a live image without recording is less problematic
- In common property a camera requires a decision of the flat owners
- Where the exemption fails, warning signs and retention limits must be observed
⚠️ Penalties & fines
An unlawfully placed camera may have to come down. If the neighbour complains to the Data State Inspectorate, it can examine the legal basis for the surveillance and order the breach to be remedied — in practice, that the camera be turned or removed. For breaches of personal data processing the GDPR provides for administrative fines, and these can reach individuals too once the household exemption falls away. In common property — a stairwell or a shared yard — a camera may not be installed unilaterally: a decision of the flat owners is required, and without one it can be ordered removed. Practical advice: aim the camera so that only your own property is in frame, put up a warning sign, and do not keep recordings longer than necessary.
📎 Official sources
- DVI · Video surveillance →
- LV portāls · Cameras at your home →
- likumi.lv · Data protection framework →
❓ Frequently asked
May I film my neighbour's door?
You may not. Filming a neighbour's door or windows is a gross breach of privacy, because it records when they come and go and who visits them. Collecting such data without their consent is unlawful.
Is a doorbell camera allowed?
Surveillance for private and household purposes means showing what happens at your own front door at the moment someone presses the bell, as a live image without recording. Continuous recording is another matter.
What if the camera covers the street?
Then the household exemption no longer applies and you become a data controller with all the GDPR duties — a warning sign, a lawful basis and a limited retention period. That applies to private individuals too.
What can the Data State Inspectorate do?
It can examine the legal basis for the surveillance and order the breach to be remedied, in practice requiring the camera to be turned or removed. Administrative fines for data breaches are also possible.
Can I put a camera in the stairwell?
Not unilaterally. In common property, including a stairwell, installing video surveillance requires a decision of the flat owners. A camera installed without one can be ordered removed after a complaint.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can i film my neighbours yard latvia”
- “home cctv rules latvia”
- “doorbell camera gdpr latvia”
- “data state inspectorate camera complaint”
- “camera in stairwell permission latvia”
- “neighbour installed a camera”