Doorbell Outside Camera Recs

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Doorbell Outside Camera Recs

Jules Aton
MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

I searched and didn't find much so thought I'd ask again. What is your favorite for front entry monitoring? I'd like something fairly inexpensive, reliable and not overly complicated from a tech standpoint. Thanks in advance! 

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Mark Reitman
Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 53 posts · 54 votes
1y
Quote from @John Underwood:

I had someone fall on the side of the house where signs say to stay away from. I have since added a ring camera and solar cell to monitor this off limits area.

I got a call from a guest alerting me that "someone" used and messed up the hot tub while they were out. The Ring recorded a bear walking past the front door in the direction of the hot tub 🤣. The guests got a kick out of that!
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  • Mark Reitman
    Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 53 posts · 54 votes
    1y

    I like Ring. Easy to set up and monitor, reliable and for a small annual fee, saves recordings. 

    2Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1y

    Ring. But I wouldn’t put one on a rental. 

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  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    1y

    Ring cameras and doorbell.

    I had someone fall on the side of the house where signs say to stay away from. I have since added a ring camera and solar cell to monitor this off limits area.

    3Reply
    • Mark Reitman
      Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 53 posts · 54 votes
      1y
      Quote from @John Underwood:

      I had someone fall on the side of the house where signs say to stay away from. I have since added a ring camera and solar cell to monitor this off limits area.

      I got a call from a guest alerting me that "someone" used and messed up the hot tub while they were out. The Ring recorded a bear walking past the front door in the direction of the hot tub 🤣. The guests got a kick out of that!
      3Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1y

    Personally I do not have any at the properties I own.  We do allow owners for whom we manage to have them on exterior only, and not in backyards (we consider that a private area, and a lot of our houses have pools and hot tubs).  I would say most have either Ring, Eufy, or Nest.

    I am not super tech-y but just a word of advice for ease of use it whichever you decide, if you stick to a family of products you can likely control them from one app.  If you have google nest thermostat a Ring doorbell cam, and Eufy floodlight cams then you will end up with 3 different apps.

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    • Jules Aton
      OP
      MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
      1y
      Quote from @Andrew Steffens:

      Personally I do not have any at the properties I own.  We do allow owners for whom we manage to have them on exterior only, and not in backyards (we consider that a private area, and a lot of our houses have pools and hot tubs).  I would say most have either Ring, Eufy, or Nest.

      I am not super tech-y but just a word of advice for ease of use it whichever you decide, if you stick to a family of products you can likely control them from one app.  If you have google nest thermostat a Ring doorbell cam, and Eufy floodlight cams then you will end up with 3 different apps.

      Great point about staying within same family of products to limit the number of apps and hopefully the learning curve too. 
      1Reply
  • Lauren Kormylo
    Rental Property Investor · Phoenix, AZ and Rehoboth Beach DE · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    Ring doorbell, easy to install. I’ve had a few people ring the doorbell when there were no guests staying, and I was able to talk to them through it and send them on their way without it seeming like an empty house. I don’t usually look at the camera when guests are there, but it’s there if I need to. I have the audio turned off because that state doesn’t allow it. 

    1Reply
  • Josh SedivyBusiness Member
    St. Louis, MO · Member since 2024 · 134 posts · 55 votes
    1y

    The Ring Video Doorbell is a good choice for front entry monitoring. It offers HD video, two-way audio, and motion detection. You’ll get notifications on your phone whenever there’s activity.

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  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    1y

    Hey @Jules Aton, I am not in the Ring camp.

    I would do a solar powered external camera like the Euyfee stuff that is at Costco.

    1Reply
  • Tyler Divin
    Property Manager · Chattanooga, TN · Member since 2018 · 175 posts · 134 votes
    1y

    I agree with the recommendations for Ring.  We have also used Nest but at the end of the day I think Ring is superior and more affordable.  The Nest app for example will only tell you the batteries are low vs Ring will tell you what % charge they have left.  On another note, I highly recommend hard wiring cameras.  We have done rechargeable doorbells but have found it difficult to get cleaning people or handymen to recharge them reliably so they spend a lot of time offline.  As far as placement, we always like to have one doorbell camera at the primary entrance to monitor who is coming and going from the property and one on the parking area (typically a floodlight camera).  This allows you to always be able to see who is at the property and in the house.  This is not only useful for guests but also if you hire a handyman and pay by the hour or you get a large bill for a small job you can look at the cameras and say...you were only there for X number of minutes.

    1Reply
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