Your Neighbor's New Security Camera is Pointed at Your Bedroom Window
Sarah moved into a duplex on North Street in Lafayette last spring. Three months in, she noticed her landlord had installed a security camera on the shared fence line—and the angle caught the side of her bedroom window.
She didn't sign off on it. She had no idea it was coming. Now she's wondering if it's legal, what her rights are, and how long she has to actually do something about it.
If you're facing a similar situation in Lafayette, Indiana, you need to know where you stand. Security cameras in rental properties sit at the intersection of your landlord's property rights and your right to privacy. The rules aren't always crystal clear, but they do exist—and they come with real deadlines.
Here's the thing: Indiana has actual privacy protections for tenants
Indiana Code § 32-31-3-17 gives you specific rights about surveillance on rental property. Your landlord can't use hidden cameras to record you inside your apartment or unit without your knowledge and consent. That's pretty straightforward. But there's a catch—the law gets murkier when cameras are pointed at common areas, exterior spaces, or areas where you might have a "reasonable expectation of privacy."
Lafayette doesn't have a separate city ordinance that goes further than state law, so you're working with Indiana's baseline protections. What matters is whether the camera can actually capture you in a place where you'd reasonably expect privacy—your bedroom, your bathroom, your living room, or even a private patio space that's part of your rental unit.
Practical tip: Take photos or video of exactly what the camera can see from various angles in your unit. Document the date you first noticed it. You'll need this evidence if you file a complaint or take legal action.
What your landlord can legally do with cameras
Look, your landlord does have legitimate reasons to want surveillance. They're protecting their property, deterring break-ins, and documenting damage or trespassing. Security cameras in hallways, near entry doors, and in parking areas are generally legal—assuming they're not pointed directly into your windows or unit.
Indiana Code § 35-33-5-2 also gives property owners some leeway. They can install cameras to monitor their own property, including common areas of a rental building. The problem occurs when the camera's field of view goes beyond what's necessary to protect the building and starts capturing areas where you have privacy rights.
Your landlord also has to follow the lease agreement. If your lease says nothing about surveillance, that matters. If it explicitly allows cameras in certain locations, you'd normally be bound by that (though a camera pointed into your bedroom would still violate your privacy rights regardless of what the lease says).
Practical tip: Pull out your lease right now and search for any language about security cameras or surveillance. If it's vague or doesn't mention cameras at all, you've got an argument that your landlord can't just install them unilaterally.
The timeline: How quickly do you need to act?
Real talk—this is where most tenants get tripped up. There's no statute of limitations specifically mentioned in Indiana law for landlord surveillance violations, but that doesn't mean you can wait around indefinitely.
If you discover a camera that violates your privacy, you've got roughly 30 days to document it thoroughly and send your landlord a written notice. Indiana Code § 32-31-1-6 requires that important notices between landlords and tenants happen in writing. Email works, but certified mail (signature required) is better because it creates proof of delivery. That mail should cost you around $8–12 at the post office.
In that notice, you need to be specific: describe the camera location, explain why it violates your privacy, and give your landlord 7–10 days to remove it or adjust the angle so it doesn't capture your private spaces. Keep a copy for yourself. This written documentation becomes crucial if you later file a complaint with a local housing authority or pursue small claims court action.
If your landlord ignores your notice within that 7–10 day window, you can escalate. You can file a complaint with the Lafayette Housing Authority (they handle landlord-tenant disputes) or pursue damages in small claims court, where you can recover up to $8,000 in Indiana. A successful privacy violation suit might earn you damages for emotional distress and violation of your right to quiet enjoyment of the property—the amount varies depending on how egregious the violation is.
Practical tip: Don't confront your landlord verbally and expect it to count. Write everything down. Verbal complaints have no paper trail and won't hold up if this escalates.
What counts as a "reasonable expectation of privacy"
Indiana courts look at this question seriously. You have a strong reasonable expectation of privacy in: your bedroom, bathroom, changing areas, and inside your unit generally. You have a weaker expectation of privacy (but still some protection) in: your covered porch, a fenced yard that's part of your unit, or a shared backyard if it's typically secluded.
You have almost no expectation of privacy in: hallways, common lobbies, parking lots, or building entrances. A camera watching a parking lot door? Legal. A camera angled so it can film through your kitchen window while you're cooking? Not legal.
The court also considers whether there's a less invasive way for your landlord to accomplish their goal. If they could install a camera pointed at the door instead of at your window, they should do that. The law requires they use the least privacy-invasive method available.
Don't forget about consent and notification
Here's a detail a lot of people miss: even if a camera is in a legal spot, your landlord has to tell you it's there and get your consent. Indiana Code § 32-31-3-17 specifically requires "clear and conspicuous notice" that surveillance equipment is being used. A tiny notice buried in the lease that you signed two years ago probably doesn't cut it. An email saying "by the way, I'm installing cameras next week" is better, but written notice specifically pointing out where and when is best.
If your landlord installed a camera without telling you, that's already a violation. You don't even have to wait to see what it captures—the lack of notice itself is the problem. Send that written notice we talked about earlier, and mention the lack of prior consent specifically.
Practical tip: If your landlord tries to argue you consented, ask them to show you the specific written notice they gave you. If they can't produce it, you've won that argument before things even get serious. — and that can make a big difference
What to do right now
Start here: take dated photos of the camera and what it can see from your rental space. Read your lease and look for any camera language. Then send your landlord a written notice (certified mail is safest) describing the camera, explaining why it violates your privacy, and requesting removal or repositioning within 7–10 days. Keep copies of everything. If nothing happens after that deadline passes, contact the Lafayette Housing Authority or consult with a local tenant rights organization about next steps. You don't need to let this situation drag on—you've got rights, and they come with actual teeth.