Can I drill a camera into this shared wall?

NibblyPig

I'd like to install a camera to monitor the area by my porch. The wall is my neighbour's wall. This is what it looks like on the deed:

I have added the green shading and the arrow, the brown lines are the official plan.

It's hard to see what the diagram means but the green shaded bit is the grass, and the dotted line is the wall, and you can see the steps down which lead into my house (the door is absent on the diagram, but it's to the right of the arrow.

What I'd like to do is put a camera where the arrow is pointing, looking towards my door.

I'm assuming the line going through the middle of the wall means that it's shared ownership, i.e. we're both responsible for the wall?

Does this mean I can do something superficial like drilling a bracket onto the wall for a camera? Or do I need an agreement?

It's difficult to contact the owner as it's rented and I believe the actual owner lives in another country. Plus I don't want to invite the possibility they'd say 'no' when legally it's completely OK.

Many thanks!

FreeBear

NibblyPig said: Does this mean I can do something superficial like drilling a bracket onto the wall for a camera?

If you go drilling holes in the wall, do it into a mortar joint rather than brick (assuming it isn't rendered). This makes repairs much easier should the bracket ever need to be removed and won't leave unsightly holes in a brick.

Bendy_House

This won't compromise the neighbour's privacy in any way? In fact, they won't even see it unless them come to your door to visit? 

Is 'gluing' it in place an option? How will the cable run?

aoleks

no, it should be fine. while it is a party wall, such minor work does not require you to notify the neighbour.

Mistral001

So the wall looks like it is the neighbour's wall even though the face you are wanting to drill into for your camera is probably legally owned by you.  Why court controversary? Cameras in residential areas are controversial enough without putting one on a wall where there could be a dispute over it. There is surely a place over your bay window where you could put it.

NibblyPig

aoleks said:

no, it should be fine. while it is a party wall, such minor work does not require you to notify the neighbour.

Thanks, thinking about it it's probably no different to hanging a shelf indoors, it's the same wall.

No privacy will be compromised, it will be pointing at my front door, even a 360 camera there would only cover my house and the street. I have a ring doorbell at the moment but refuse to pay the annual fee after they hiked it 40% so I'm just going to DIY a camera instead.