My building in Brussels has a new landlord who wants to put cameras everywhere in the stairwell and hallway. I find it invasive and I'm wondering if it's actually allowed or if there are legal limits on what he can do. How should I react?
In Belgium, common areas can indeed be monitored, but there are strict rules: cameras must be justified by a real security need, clearly signaled, and they cannot film the entrances to individual apartment doors or overly intimate areas. The landlord also has to respect the Privacy Commission and generally needs the agreement of the co-owners' assembly if you're in a co-ownership situation. I'd advise you to check your co-ownership contract, ask the landlord for the exact details of the installation (where exactly, how long the videos are kept, who has access), and if it seems abusive to you, you can contact the co-owners' association or check with local authorities to find out if it's really legal in your situation.
The real question is to check whether your landlord followed the legal procedure before installing anything. He needs to have gotten approval from the homeowners' assembly or, at minimum, informed everyone beforehand (not after). Even though surveilling common areas is theoretically possible, it has to be proportionate and justified - cameras pointed at every corner of the stairwell is rarely considered proportionate. My suggestion: ask in writing (email or registered mail) for details about his project (number of cameras, exact areas, how long the footage is kept) and lay out your specific objections. If you're really worried about a violation, contact the Data Protection Authority (DPA) in Belgium - it's free and they can step in.
The other answers give you the right info on the legal framework, but here's an important point: before you fight over legality, first check if your landlord actually has the right to decide alone. If you're in a co-owned building, he needs a vote at the general assembly for modifications like this - it's not just his call. Ask him for the meeting minutes or contact the property manager directly to find out if it was voted on. If nothing was put to a vote, you've already got a solid basis to block the project, without even needing to get into the "invasive" side of things.
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