Can you install a video doorbell in an HDB flat?

Video doorbell rules in HDB flats

HDB says you do not need its approval to install smart door devices, such as smart door viewers and smart doorbells, or standalone CCTV cameras in your flat. Smart door devices are typically installed at the main entrance door, and HDB permits them for functions such as opening the door remotely for guests or talking to visitors and delivery persons.

The no-approval point covers the device itself. Where a camera points, and any wiring needed to power it, have their own rules.

Cameras, the corridor and neighbours

HDB says a standalone CCTV camera inside your flat, as opposed to a smart door device, must not face the door or windows of another flat, and CCTV cameras must not be installed on the building facade. To install a CCTV camera outside your flat, such as along the common corridor, HDB says to approach your Town Council for advice.

The corridor is shared space. See who maintains what in an HDB flat for which parts outside your door you look after.

In a written answer to Parliament in 2023, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said that where a camera intrudes on a neighbour's privacy, HDB works with grassroots leaders to advise the owner to adjust the camera angle. Neighbours who cannot resolve the matter can go to the Community Mediation Centre or the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals.

Wired or battery doorbells

Check how a unit is powered before you buy it. A battery unit, or a plug-in unit that uses an existing socket, needs no new wiring. A wired doorbell, or a new power point to supply one, needs electrical work.

For a simple doorbell installation, a digital doorbell that runs on batteries only needs fixing in place and setting up as the maker's instructions describe.

If new wiring is needed, HDB's electrical works guidelines do not allow it to be embedded in walls, wall plaster, slabs or other finishes, so it runs in surface trunking. An additional 13amps power point needs no HDB permit, but SP Services Form CS/5H endorsed by HDB must be submitted for testing of the new wiring.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) says electrical work at home should be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW), including installing or modifying wiring and adding power points. EMA says electrical work in an HDB flat needs a Licensed Electrician, the class of LEW approved for loads of up to 45kVA. All LEWs carry a licence card, and EMA says to verify it before any electrical work starts. See what work needs an LEW for more.

Fitting it to the main door

HDB says the main entrance door is a fire safety barrier, and all fire-rated doors at the entrance of HDB flats have a door closer, a self-closing safety device that must not be removed. In practice, choose a doorbell that fits without drilling through the door or removing the closer, and follow the device maker's instructions. If you are unsure whether a fixing affects a fire-rated door, ask HDB before you go ahead.

For more on the entrance door itself, see fire-rated main door. If you are changing the lock at the same time, compare a digital or mechanical lock and read about door lock replacement.

Privacy considerations

A video doorbell can record people who pass your door, so set it up with your neighbours in mind:

• Aim the camera at your own doorway, not across the corridor.
• Tell your neighbours before you install it.
• Avoid recording into a neighbour's flat through their door or windows.
• If a neighbour raises a concern, talk it through and adjust the angle.

This matches HDB's rule that standalone CCTV cameras in a flat must not face another flat's door or windows, and MND's answer that HDB works with grassroots leaders to advise owners to adjust a camera that intrudes on a neighbour's privacy.

When to stop and call a professional

Call a Licensed Electrician if the doorbell needs new wiring, connects to existing wiring, or needs a new power point. Leave existing doorbell wiring, switches and the DB box to the electrician rather than opening them yourself.

You can browse electricians in the directory. The cost depends on the job, so ask whether a quote includes the trunking and the testing of new wiring, and see electrician costs.

Questions