Best Security Cameras for Apartments in 2024

Simply put, Lorex makes some of the best security cameras for apartment living. They’re extremely well designed, they offer exceptional features, and they don’t even require an ongoing contract to operate.

What are some of those features, you might wonder? You can read all about them in our review of Lorex, but for starters, a lot of their models offer 4K resolution, which means you’ll be capturing the clearest pictures possible. If your apartment gets broken into, law enforcement will be able to zoom in on the brand of cigarettes the guy had on the dashboard of his car that was parked a block away. Okay — that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.

Their color night vision is also among the best we’ve ever seen. You can read more about this in our guide to the best night vision security cameras, but first a quick note on that: Color night vision is actually a bit of a misnomer. Really what it means is that your camera’s sensor is extremely sensitive and doesn’t need very much light to operate. This doesn’t work so well for folks who live out in the country, where there’s nearly no ambient light once the sun goes down, but headlights and street lamps are more than enough to keep Lorex cameras recording everything 24 hours a day.

Now you might be wondering why they aren’t in the number-one spot after reading this. You can read up on it in our guide to Lorex’s products and prices, but the main reason is a lot of their cameras are constructed with permanence in mind. That doesn’t mean, though, that they don’t have a few great battery-operated options or equipment that would be appropriate for apartment installs. They’re just not quite as DIY-friendly as Arlo.

This company consistently ranks as one of our top choices for security cameras regardless of application, and if you read our Arlo review, you’ll see why. Their equipment is well built, has a sleek design, and is loaded with neat technology like built-in sirens and spotlights.

Why are they so great for apartments, though? Most of their equipment is battery-operated, meaning that it’s really easy to install a network of powerful cameras around your home without punching lots of holes in the walls. You won’t need to call an electrician to hardwire anything into your home’s power, and you probably won’t even have to ask your landlord if it’s okay to set them up (but we always recommend asking your landlord first!).

In our breakdown of Arlo’s pricing and products, you’ll see that the majority of their cameras offer features like high resolution (up to 4K in some cases), color night vision, floodlights, and built-in sirens. Another thing you might notice, though, is that some of their equipment — especially the top-end products — are a little pricey. In our opinion, though, you get what you pay for with Arlo. This is high-end technology that will serve you for years.

When we opened the box for our hands-on test of Google Nest, we could tell we were really going to like this system. These cameras are designed really well — almost stylishly — and they were easy to set up and install.

The indoor camera is compact and could be placed exactly where it was needed — as long as it was within wire reach. This is great for keeping an eye on the kiddos while you’re working in the home office or making sure your cats aren’t scratching up your couch while you’re away. The outdoor camera wasn’t as robust as we’d like — its weatherproofing is a little questionable — but depending on the design of your apartment, it might not be an issue for keeping an eye on your front door.

You’ll see in our breakdown of Google Nest’s costs and equipment that they aren’t the cheapest on the block, but again, you get what you pay for. And with Google Nest, this means a whole world of features and home automation options. The purchase of your cameras will give you a free trial of Nest Aware, which you can use to monitor and track activity around your apartment and tailor smart alerts for your phone. Familiar faces will learn the difference between friends and strangers, and if one of those strangers does something bad, you can alert the authorities immediately. The Nest cameras also integrate seamlessly with Google Assistant, so you can have all of your smart devices linked together.

Another option for renters, Ring has a seemingly bottomless list of equipment, from spotlight cams and motion detectors to doorbells and security systems.

When it comes to their security cameras, though, we found in our Ring review that while they might be lacking in bells and whistles, they make up for it with ease of use and versatility. If you have a specific need, Ring likely makes a camera that’ll cover it.

That isn’t to say that Ring is lacking features. Most of their cameras are 1080p, offer two-way talk, and live stream to your mobile phone. Most have infrared night vision, and they even pair well with your Alexa home assistant.

And as you’ll see in our guide to Ring’s products and costs, the equipment itself won’t cost an arm and a leg. Sure, if you’re looking to purchase 20 top-of-the-line cameras, two Ring video doorbells, and smart locks for all your doors, the costs will add up. But if you’re looking for a few basic cameras to keep an eye on your apartment, Ring’s a pretty good choice.

Have you ever heard of decision fatigue? It’s when you have so many options that making a selection is difficult, if not impossible.

You’re not going to experience that with SimpliSafe. When we reviewed the SimpliCams, everything made total sense, and we weren’t forced to make uncomfortable decisions. Need an indoor camera? They’ve got a decent wired one. Want one for outside? They’ve got a new wireless one. Want to use your indoor one outside? Slap a weatherproof sleeve on it.

And that’s all there is to it, really. No juggling options, no wading through a huge list of features. What you see is what you get: basic security cameras that will help you watch the goings-on inside and outside your apartment.

They are a little on the pricey side, as you’ll read more about in our guide to SimpiSafe’s equipment costs, and the features are pretty lacking in these cameras. But isn’t there something beautiful about simplicity?