This app was mentioned in 3 comments, with an average of 1.00 upvote
Thank you! Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work for me, although app and streamer is working, I get a preview image on the phone app, but when clicking to view the stream it just keeps loading and the app hangs.
For now, just in case someone is interested too, I found two similar apps. One is Home Video Surveillance which is actually the one I had used in the past. Works perfectly, even though it uses a web app (through chrome) to stream from the computer. Pro version costs 6 euros (or equivalent) and it doesn't support push notifications when detecting movement when the phone app is off. When the app is working, movement detection is spot on.
The second is AtHome Camera - Home Security. Works perfectly too, push notification alerts are supporter, streaming is limited only to 800x600 resolution in free version, with a subscription of around 5 euros per month to unlock more features (higher resolution, cloud storage, etc).
Edit: corrections
APARTMENT DIRTY TRICKS
Apartment owners don't enjoy spending money. Most will acknowledge necessary fair expenses, but some will try to avoid any expense.
Apartment management are people - like any people. They are subject to laziness, boredom, and drama. You may be renting from a professional, or from a narcissist!
Here are some things to look out for:
A standard lease agreement will usually allow an owner or their agent (apartment manager) to "enter, inspect, and/or repair the premises at any time" during any sort of "emergency". It may also state that they can enter for any reason as long as they give a 24 hour notice first.
The owner could even show prospective renters YOUR apartment as an example of what their apartments look like. This would be their reason for entering.
State tenant laws usually require the manager or owner give advanced notice (usually 24 hours) before entering a property. Check out the tenant rights for your state to see what is lawful.
While they are in your apartment, the person with the key (manager, maintenance guy, whoever) could potentially look through everything you own.
They can come into your apartment for a monthly "fire alarm inspection" or "water heater inspection" or to replace the heating / cooling filters.
And when they get back to their office, they can write a warning letter to you for any supposed violation of the lease agreement. For example, you could be charged with keeping a messy home, or for smoking on the premises, or for having "drug paraphernalia"... whatever drama they like. They will keep a copy of this and use this as eviction evidence if they feel like they need to evict you.
The manager has the keys to your apartment. They - or anyone with access to these keys - could enter at any time they feel like it. This gives unscrupulous managers the idea that they have the "right" to snoop on you, or to even steal your things!
There are some things you can do about this:
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Move out inspections are brutal.
During the move in, the manager breezed through the apartment, all sunshine and light, and maybe they handed you a move-in inspection sheet, where you were supposed to hand-write in all the problems you've found in a few cramped lines.
During move out, this paper may have gone missing. Maybe you didn't complete it. And most certainly, you didn't write down everything that they have found!
If you dispute their findings and refuse to pay what they demand, they will take you to small claims court. If the judge is fair, he or she will probably give them half of what they are demanding. So it makes sense for the apartment owner to demand as much as possible if they go this route.
Yes, there is a such thing as "normal wear and tear", and you can google Tenant's rights to see what this might entail in your state. However, unless the evidence is very clear, most judges will just "split the difference".
To combat a malicious move out inspection, you must do a STELLAR move in inspection!
Schedule a time for a move in inspection with the manager. Then audio / video record the inspection with the manager if they allow it. If not, then photograph everything you find. Make sure you have photographs of the manager doing the inspection too. Make sure the photograph metadata is correctly date / time stamped, and stamped on the image itself.
After the official inspection, create your own written report of discrepancies found during the move in inspection. You can google "Move in inspection forms" to see some examples of what you should be looking for. But the format can be your own.
Make sure that you label each page with title and page number in a "Page x of y" format. When you give this to the manager, you should both sign and date it, and you should get the signed original. Keep this paper!
What to look for during a move in inspection:
Why are we being so nit-picky? Because after you have moved out and turned in your keys is when the apartment manager may try to replace the entire carpet and carpet pad on your dime! They may "determine" that the stain on your carpet is where your dog peed on it, completely ruining the carpet, and requiring the underlying concrete floor to be "sealed" with a special epoxy coating to make it "habitable".
Don't laugh. That is exactly what happened to me, in an apartment I lived in for 8 years! The carpet was already 7 years old when I moved in! (I won that one. I might not have if I didn't have photographic evidence.)
The best way to do a move-in inspection is to take a whole day and go through the apartment as if you were a vindictive narcissistic drill sergeant. Write down everything you find, photograph it, and have the manager sign off on your inspection.
Please note, the manager will often try to fix things. If they fix something, they may include a letter explaining that they fixed an item. You should be required to sign each letter like this. If you do, keep these with your inspection report. If the letter says it is fixed, and the fix is not satisfactory, you should document this and have management sign your response. Keep a copy of your response.
Yes, it seems like this makes things a bit tense. And maybe you can trust the management - maybe you can not. You should ask the question if you can afford to trust the management to the tune of 2-4 thousand dollars of move out expenses?
Apartment manager is a narcissist's dream job. It is so easy to stir up drama, or become involved in other people's drama.
Your best bet to avoid this sort of drama is to keep quiet during quiet hours, and minimize your interaction with the manager. Look out for triangulation from other possibly narcissistic tenants. Don't have a dog that barks while you are gone. Make sure you park only in your assigned spots.
Document anything that impacts you negatively, sign and date it and keep it even if you are not planning to show anyone else. I suggest getting a simple "College composition book" to keep a journal of incidents in. Or just write it in your own journal.
Keeping a journal can be very useful. I recommend it to everyone. Digital or paper and pen - whatever works for you.
Apartments are great places for thieves. People leave their bikes locked to a post, or in the apartment back yard. They leave their car windows down. They put things out on their back patio for "just a minute".
It only takes a moment for someone to jump over a fence and heist your bike, to break a car window and take a package. Busy apartments make it easy for someone to wander in looking as if they lived there. And other tenants may be casing you!
Be aware of the potential of theft at all times. Post a sign in the window leading to your back patio, "This property is under video surveillance".
Get renter's insurance - it's cheap, and can often be added as a rider to your auto insurance. It shouldn't cost more than an extra 5-15 dollars a month. And it may replace a stolen bicycle, even if it is stolen from your place of work! (I've seen this myself)
Buy a decent fireproof safe and keep important documents in it. Purchase a safe deposit box at the bank for irreplaceable items. (They are also cheap, often less than $60 a year for credit unions!)
There are hidden safes you can use for things that must stay in your house.