When an apartment building sits beside a busy commercial area, camera coverage matters. For this project at 1106 Jalna Blvd in London, Ontario, next to White Oaks Mall, the existing camera system was dated and limited. It had poor coverage, unreliable recording, lower image quality, limited remote access, and missed important areas around the building.
The previous setup only gave the main floor partial coverage. The building needed a proper security camera upgrade that could cover entrances, corridors, parking areas, and the road entrance in a way that was easier for management to use day to day.
London Tech Solutions was brought in to replace the old system with a modern UniFi Protect deployment built for multi-unit residential security.
The Goal: Better Coverage Across the Building
The main goal was to replace dated cameras and expand coverage beyond the main level. The finished system included 22 cameras total, covering:
- Main level — 9 cameras covering entrances, lobby, elevator area, garbage room, and corridors.
- Floors 2–7 — 1 camera per floor covering the main corridors.
- Parking areas — dedicated exterior cameras covering the parking lot and the parking entrance from the road.
- License plate capture — dedicated G6 Pro Bullet cameras aimed to take advantage of their zoom capability for better vehicle and plate visibility.
For apartment buildings, this kind of coverage is about more than recording video. It gives the building manager a practical way to review incidents, check activity around key access points, and support resident safety without relying on a patchwork of outdated cameras.
What We Installed
This project was built around the UniFi Protect platform and included a complete network and recording setup, not just camera swaps.
The hardware included:
- 19 × UniFi G6 Dome cameras for interior corridor and common-area coverage.
- 1 × UniFi G6 Pro Dome camera where a higher-performance dome camera was required.
- 2 × UniFi G6 Pro Bullet cameras for the parking lot and road entrance, configured to take advantage of zoom and license plate recognition.
- 1 × UniFi Pro Max 24 PoE switch to power and connect the camera network.
- 1 × UNVR Pro for centralized video recording.
- 1 × UniFi Express cloud gateway for network management.
- 6U equipment rack, patch panels, Cat6 cabling, and EMT conduit.
- Dell mini PC and monitor to provide an on-site viewing interface for management.
Because everything is centralized in UniFi Protect, management can view cameras, search footage, and manage incidents from one system instead of dealing with separate recorders or disconnected camera hardware.
The Installation Challenge: Cabling an Older Building
The biggest challenge on this project was the cable path. This was an older occupied apartment building, so the system had to be installed carefully while residents remained in place.
Our team drilled between floors to create the required cable routes, then used EMT conduit to protect cabling between floors and on exterior runs. That gave the building a cleaner, more durable installation while protecting the Cat6 infrastructure that the camera system depends on.
The project was completed by 2 technicians over 5 days, with the building remaining occupied throughout the work.
Why UniFi Protect Was a Good Fit
UniFi Protect was a strong fit for this building because it gave the manager a centralized system without monthly cloud recording fees.
For this type of apartment building security camera installation, UniFi Protect offers several practical advantages:
- Centralized management — cameras, recording, and review are handled in one interface.
- Remote access — authorized management can review cameras and incidents without needing to be physically at the recorder.
- Local recording — footage is stored on the UNVR Pro instead of depending on a monthly cloud recording plan.
- License plate recognition — dedicated cameras can be positioned and zoomed for the road entrance and parking areas.
- Scalability — the system can grow as the building's needs change.
- Cleaner ownership — the building owns the equipment and recording infrastructure instead of being locked into a cloud-only camera subscription.
For multi-unit residential properties, that balance matters: strong coverage, reliable recording, practical management tools, and no unnecessary monthly video-storage fees.
The Result
The finished system gives the building manager a much easier way to manage incidents, review footage, and understand what is happening around the property. It also improves resident safety by covering key entrances, common areas, corridors, and parking zones that were previously missed or only partially monitored.
The parking lot and road entrance now have dedicated coverage, including cameras positioned for license plate visibility. Inside, all main corridors and high-traffic common areas are covered by vandal-resistant dome cameras suited for apartment building environments.
This was a significant upgrade from the previous system: better image quality, more complete coverage, centralized recording, remote access, and a cleaner management experience.
Completed project investment: approximately $34,000 CAD. This included the 22-camera UniFi Protect deployment, UNVR Pro recording, PoE switching, rack hardware, patch panels, Cat6 cabling, EMT conduit, on-site viewing equipment, installation, configuration, and testing. Final pricing for apartment building camera systems depends on camera count, cabling difficulty, conduit requirements, recording storage needs, building layout, and exterior coverage requirements.
Request an Apartment Building Security Assessment
If you manage an apartment building, condo, rental property, or other multi-unit residential site in London, Ontario or Southwestern Ontario, London Tech Solutions can help assess your current camera coverage and design a practical upgrade path.