CCTV and Security for PGs and Hostels in Bangalore

Why PG security is under scrutiny

Bengaluru has thousands of paying-guest accommodations and hostels for students and working professionals, many in converted houses with frequent occupant turnover. After a woman was killed inside a Koramangala PG in July 2024, the city’s civic body (BBMP, since restructured under the Greater Bengaluru Authority) issued an order on 7 August 2024 setting ten conditions for PG trade licences and renewals, with inspections every six months.

The CCTV conditions

The August 2024 order requires CCTV cameras at all entry and exit points and in common areas, with footage kept for 90 days, backed up in both hardware and software. PG owners later asked for the storage period to be cut to 30 days, and press reports said the civic body was considering relaxations. Check the current licence conditions with your ward office before planning storage; our default is to design for 90 days so the system meets the stricter rule.

Other conditions reported in the order include a guard on the premises 24×7, at least 70 square feet per occupant, fire safety clearance, clean washrooms, drinking water and waste segregation.

Camera plan

• Main gate and entrance door, capturing faces of everyone entering.
• Every other entry and exit, including back doors and terrace access.
• Reception or warden’s desk and the visitor waiting area.
• Corridors and staircases on each floor.
• Common areas: dining hall, TV room, kitchen entry.
• Parking and two-wheeler area.
• Never inside rooms, bathrooms or changing areas.

Storage for 90 days

Ninety days of continuous recording needs much more disk space than the usual two weeks. For example, 12 cameras at 4MP on H.265, recording continuously, need roughly 20 TB for 90 days; motion-weighted settings can reduce that. Options include larger NVRs with several drives, motion-weighted recording, and a second recorder or backup drive to meet the “hardware and software backup” condition.

Entry control and visitors

• Face or fingerprint entry at the main door for residents, with records of entry times.
• Video door phone so the warden sees visitors before opening.
• A visitor register or digital visitor log with ID and photo.
• Night entry rules enforced by the access system, with the warden alerted to late entries.

Example: a 60-bed PG in Koramangala

A three-floor PG with 60 residents set up cameras at the main entrance and exit, the reception, each floor corridor, the dining area, the stairs and the two-wheeler parking — never inside rooms or bathrooms. A 16-channel NVR with disks sized for 90 days of recording, a separate backup, and a UPS met the storage condition. Residents enter with face recognition, visitors are logged at reception with photo and ID, and a guard is on duty around the clock. The owner keeps the latest police verification forms on file and confirms current rules with the authorities, since PG owners have sought changes to the storage period.

Privacy and residents’ trust

Residents accept cameras in entrances and corridors; they will not accept cameras that could see into rooms or bathrooms, and such cameras can be a criminal offence. Put up clear CCTV notices, limit footage access to the owner and warden, and share footage only with police on request. SightShield installs IP camera systems only, from CP Plus, PRAMA, Honeywell and Hikvision, using models certified for sale in India, with a GST invoice and an annual maintenance contract.

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