Protect your home resources

Proper indoor and outdoor lighting acts as a deterrent to intruders by giving the impression someone is home and eliminating dark areas around your property where they might hide. It also enhances visibility for you and your neighbours, increasing the chances of spotting suspicious activity.

Inside lighting

• Consider using smart bulbs or timer switches for lights etc when the home is empty during hours of darkness to give the perception that somebody is in. 
• If you choose to just leave lights on when you go out, we recommend varying the lamps you select, as predictable lighting patterns can actually help offenders confirm no one is home.
• Even if you don't have smart bulbs or timer switches, we recommend leaving a few lamps on when you go out, so your house looks occupied. 
• Opt for lighting and CCTV products tested and approved by Secured by Design indicating they meet stringent security standards. ​

External lighting

• Motion-activated lights - install lights that activate upon detecting movement. This sudden illumination can startle potential intruders and alert you or your neighbours to their presence.
• Dawn til dusk lighting - use low-level lighting that automatically switches on in the evening and off at dawn to maintain constant illumination around your home's perimeter.
• Opt for lighting and CCTV products tested and approved by Secured by Design indicating they meet stringent security standards. ​
• Unless your home is a listed building, you do not usually need to apply for planning permission to install or replace a security light/CCTV on your home if it is small and doesn't change the look of the building - use our planning enquiry tool to find out more. 
• If your property is a listed building - you will always need to apply for listed building consent.

Be careful about where to place your lights. Poor placement can cause glare or shadowed areas, and sometimes even help intruders avoid detection.

• Install lights high enough to reduce tampering, but not so high that they fail to illuminate key areas like doors, windows, and pathways.
• Angle lights downward and outward to create even coverage and reduce harsh shadows where someone could hide.
• Use motion-activated lighting in areas like driveways or backyards – this can alert you to movement and conserve energy.

CCTV and lighting

If you can reach to it, lighting and camera coverage should be considered together – a well-coordinated placement of both significantly improves both systems.

• Plan your lighting and camera layout together instead of treating them separately.
• Overlap camera and light coverage zones to reduce blind spots and increase deterrence.
• Walk around your property at night to identify dark zones and adjust lights or cameras accordingly.
• Use lighting to guide attention - highlight key areas like entrances, gates, or garages where activity is most likely.

if you do install both lighting and CCTV, make sure that light is placed to support visibility and avoid interfering with CCTV.

• Test your camera view at night to see how lighting affects the footage.
• Avoid strong backlighting behind subjects – it can make them appear as dark silhouettes on camera.
• Use soft or diffused lighting around entrances to improve facial visibility without overwhelming the camera sensor.
• Place lights off to the side of the camera’s view to reduce lens flare or overexposure.
• Avoid placing lights directly in front of cameras, as this can create glare or wash out the image.

Video doorbells - extra eyes at your door

Video doorbells provide an added layer of security, especially for vulnerable residents or those who receive regular visitors.

• Monitor who's at your door – See, hear, and speak to visitors in real-time through your smartphone – whether you're at home or away.
• Record suspicious activity – Most devices offer motion-activated recording and can store footage in the cloud, helping you review or share incidents with police.
• Deter doorstep criminals – Just the presence of a video doorbell can discourage package thieves or opportunists who approach to test if someone’s home.
• Smart integration – Many systems work seamlessly with other smart security products, such as floodlight cameras, alarms, and smart locks.
• Be aware that Wi-Fi-based devices like video doorbells are a very useful aid, but should not be seen as primary security systems - Wi-Fi signals can be interrupted or jammed. View our alarms page for information on more robust alarm systems. 

CCTV and your data responsiblities

If you use CCTV on your property, you may be recording personal data. That means you're responsible for following the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This applies to both businesses and private individuals in certain cases.

• Be clear about why you're using CCTV - you must have a clear, legitimate reason for using CCTV – for example, to deter crime or monitor the security of your premises. If you're a business, this purpose should be documented.
• Inform people they are being recorded - you must let people know that CCTV is in operation. This is usually done with clear, visible signs that explain who is operating the system and why. Signs should be easy to read and positioned at all entrances to the monitored area.
• Keep footage secure - store your recordings securely. This includes using password protection, keeping physical storage devices in a safe location, and limiting access to authorised individuals only. Footage must not be used for any purpose other than the one originally stated.
• Only keep footage for as long as needed - CCTV footage should only be kept for as long as it is needed – for example, 30 days is common practice. If footage is needed for an investigation, it can be kept longer, but it should be deleted securely once no longer required.
• Respect people's rights - anyone recorded by your CCTV has the right to request access to their personal data (called a subject access request). You must respond within one month. If other people appear in the footage, you may need to blur or withhold those parts - find out more on the Information Commissioner's website.
• If you are using CCTV for business purposes, you must maintain documentation outlining your use of CCTV and how data is handled - find out more on the Information Commissioner's website.