Condo security in Montreal is no longer a theoretical issue for condo syndicates. Since 2024, building managers downtown and in Old Montreal have been reporting the same scenes: forced front doors, emptied basement lockers, packages vanishing from the lobby, strangers asleep in stairwells. The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal even published its package-theft prevention tips, a sign the phenomenon goes beyond a simple news item. For a board of directors, the challenge is twofold: protect residents without undermining their privacy, and spend the syndicate’s money where it will truly make a difference. Here is how to sort out the real priorities.
Why intrusions are increasing in Montreal buildings
The same pattern shows up from one neighbourhood to the next. In a building in Old Montreal, the opening of a nearby shelter for unhoused people coincided with an increase in package theft and intrusions, to the point that the administrators reinforced the front door and added motion detectors on the garage ramp. Elsewhere, a manager discovered a squat set up in the bathroom of a rooftop terrace, spotted only because a resident heard noise at night.
The targeted areas are almost always the same. Lobbies and entry vestibules, where people come to sleep. Basements and storage lockers, where they rummage. Fire stairwells, quiet and rarely used, that serve as shelter. New buildings, still in the delivery phase, remain the most exposed because their construction access points are left open.
It is not just a matter of crime. Most people experiencing homelessness pose no danger. But the presence of a stranger in a private space is enough to create unease, especially when drug use is added, with its share of unpredictable behaviour. The real question for a syndicate is therefore not how to chase people away, but how to filter access without criminalizing distress.
Package theft: the blind spot in condo security
Online shopping has moved the problem right to building entrances. Nearly one Canadian in four reported having already been a victim of package theft at the end of 2020, and condos concentrate the risk: a delivery driver drops several parcels in an open lobby, and anyone can help themselves as they pass by.
There are countermeasures, and not all of them cost a fortune. The SPVM recommends signature-required delivery, drop-off in a locked box, or delivery to a neighbour who is home during the day. For larger complexes, starting at 60 units, a smart parcel locker becomes cost-effective: each resident receives a code, the driver deposits the package, and the door locks itself again.
The weak link remains the same: the front door. As long as it opens without control, even the strongest locker solves only half the problem. I have found that the buildings that truly reduce theft are those that combine two things: a closed drop-off point and filtered access. One without the other always leaves a gaping vulnerability.
Surveillance cameras: what Law 25 really requires
Installing cameras seems simple. In a condo, it is much less so. A camera aimed at a common area—a corridor, a parking lot, a balcony—constitutes a modification of the common portions. According to the rules governing cameras in condos recalled by the Regroupement des gestionnaires et copropriétaires du Québec, you therefore have to go through the assembly: since Law 16, section 1097 of the Civil Code requires 75% of the votes of co-owners present or represented to approve the amendment to the declaration of co-ownership.
Then comes Law 25, in force since September 22, 2022, which governs personal information. A video-surveillance image is one. The syndicate must therefore keep a viewing log, restrict access to recordings, and never share them with third parties, except during a police investigation.
Three clear rules deserve to be posted for the board. Residents must always be informed of the presence of cameras. No hidden cameras. And you must never aim the lens at the door or window of a specific unit. A detail that surprises many administrators: the purchase and installation cannot be paid from the contingency fund, which is reserved for major repairs. It is better to budget for it separately before launching the project.
Access control, patrols, human presence: who does what
Technology filters; it does not decide. A magnetic badge on the lobby door, backed up by a second key-fob door, already removes a good share of opportunistic entries. Motion-activated lighting in dark areas—garage, alley, service entrance—deprives intruders of the comfort of shadow.
Some buildings nevertheless reach a point where equipment is no longer enough. When intrusions repeat in the evening and at night, several Montreal syndicates end up mandating a physical presence. A mobile patrol that comes by at varying times costs less than a permanently posted guard, while disrupting the routine that unwanted visitors rely on. An agent who checks access points, calmly asks someone to leave the vestibule, and logs the incident does what no camera will do for you.
The table below summarizes, area by area, the main risk and the most direct countermeasure.
| Building area | Main risk | Concrete measure | Who decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lobby and entry vestibule | Intrusion, overnight squatting | Double key-fob door, locked vestibule | Board of directors |
| Basement and lockers | Theft of personal belongings | Motion-activated lighting, badge access | Board of directors |
| Indoor parking | Theft from vehicles | Camera on the common area, rounds | Assembly (75% of votes) |
| Rooftop terrace | Squatting, damage | Dedicated lock, regular inspection | Manager |
| Fire stairwell | Shelter, substance use | Panic-bar door, evening round | Board of directors |
| Parcel reception | Package theft | Locked locker or smart parcel locker | Board of directors |
None of these measures works on its own. Access control without a human presence leaves evenings exposed. A human presence without access control is expensive for only partial results.
Build a realistic security plan for your syndicate
Before signing anything, a board of directors is well advised to prioritize. Start with the cheapest and most effective: lock, light, reinforce the door. These steps cut most opportunistic intrusions for a few hundred dollars. Next comes electronic access control, and then—only if the problem persists—human presence and video surveillance, which are heavier to manage day to day.
The human side matters as much as the technical side. In Montreal, the Équipe mobile de médiation et d’intervention sociale and the 211 line help manage an itinerant presence without systematically calling the police. Resident awareness also matters: holding a door open out of politeness cancels out the best access system in the world.
When the situation exceeds what volunteers can handle, calling on a security company in Montreal provides access to a diagnosis, a patrol plan, and a single point of contact in the event of an incident. My rule, after observing very different buildings: a security plan holds up when it is written, dated, and reviewed every year at the assembly—never when it relies on a vigilant neighbour who will eventually move away.
Frequently asked questions about condo security
Can a co-owner install their own camera in the hallway?
No, not without the syndicate’s approval. The hallway is a common area: any camera that records it must be approved at the assembly. A camera installed without authorization can be removed following a formal notice, and any holes left in the wall filled at the offending person’s expense.
Who pays for the installation of surveillance cameras?
The syndicate, from its operating budget or a special assessment, but not from the contingency fund. That fund is reserved for major repairs and the replacement of common portions, not for purchasing surveillance equipment.
What should you do when someone settles in the entrance lobby?
Stay calm, keep your distance, and politely ask the person to leave. Managers almost always obtain cooperation without police intervention. If in doubt, the Équipe mobile de médiation and the 211 line can take over. If someone is in danger or threatening, 911 remains the proper course of action.
Mobile patrol or permanent guard: which should you choose?
It all depends on traffic. A posted guard makes sense in a high-traffic building with a reception desk. For most condos, a mobile patrol that comes by at unpredictable times offers a better cost-to-deterrence ratio, because it breaks the routine without straining the budget.
