Legality of real estate agent flying drone over neighbouring properties?

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tstone

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#3442650 11-Dec-2025 11:31

clicknz:

The CAA says that the operator needs approval from any property owners that will be on the flight path of a drone. Obviously this doesn't always happen.

Yes, you can call the CAA, the Police, a lawyer... but lets think about what's actually going on, whether there are nefarious reasons for a drone in the sky, whether any harm might be intended and whether there's a better way to deal with the situation.

How does one determine if the drone is yours or a nefarious person's? How does one know 'what's actually going on'? This is lackadaisical to trust every drone operator, when you probably can't even see them.

mudguard

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#3442664 11-Dec-2025 12:23

tstone:

How does one determine if the drone is yours or a nefarious person's? How does one know 'what's actually going on'? This is lackadaisical to trust every drone operator, when you probably can't even see them.

The difficulty is that it doesn't sound like the drone flew over the OP's property at all. We have a two storey home. One side of the house overlooks our neighbour's single storey home. It's not really that different to me looking out vs the neighbour sending a drone straight up from their place.

gbwelly

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#3442699 11-Dec-2025 13:59

mudguard:

The difficulty is that it doesn't sound like the drone flew over the OP's property at all.

It was more than over, it was hovering IN the garden. We have 5 levels to our garden it was about 4m off the ground on the lowest terrace. Walking up some steps to the 3rd terrace you would be above it. The house listed is behind ours, higher up than our highest terrace there is no way to see that house from ours due to a row of trees. Either it was just parked up, or having a look at our garden (which is very pretty at this time of year).

mudguard

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#3442709 11-Dec-2025 14:51

gbwelly:

mudguard:

The difficulty is that it doesn't sound like the drone flew over the OP's property at all.

It was more than over, it was hovering IN the garden.

Ah right. Wasn't super clear from your first post.

gbwelly

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#3442765 11-Dec-2025 16:07

mudguard:

Ah right. Wasn't super clear from your first post.

Fair enough, a picture speaks a thousand words:

MikeB4

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#3442820 11-Dec-2025 17:22

@gbwelly Very nice looking garden. Love the bush.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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gbwelly

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#3442824 11-Dec-2025 18:01

MikeB4:

@gbwelly Very nice looking garden. Love the bush.

Thank you. When co-pilot converted it to illustrated it did a load of weeding for me, along with making the bird bath levitate and adding half a downpipe to the shed 😁

frankv

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#3442997 12-Dec-2025 08:57

clicknz:

We always try to stay above the property lines of the place we're dealing with, but there are times when we need to back the drone up at an angle to get the view of the building... so may cross a boundary.

So your need for the photo trumps the law then?

I accept your point that you're not interested in snooping on the neighbours, but drones are also audibly intrusive, as this complaint illustrated.

Lias

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#3455141 22-Jan-2026 20:01

I've always thought NZ's drone laws are fairly overkill and need to be relaxed personally. But hey we're a nation of nimbys and people that feel more comfortable with a nanny state regulating every aspect of everyone's lives.

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Tinkerisk

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#3455196 22-Jan-2026 22:49

Lias:

I've always thought NZ's drone laws are fairly overkill and need to be relaxed personally. But hey we're a nation of nimbys and people that feel more comfortable with a nanny state regulating every aspect of everyone's lives.

Then it's no problem to ask the affected property owner beforehand. 😁

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sudara

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#3455197 22-Jan-2026 23:08

Yes, this happened to me too. Someone was flying a drone right in front of our house, and I could see the operator. I spoke to him and asked whether he had a licence. He showed me something in the DJI Fly app, but there was no way to actually verify it.

My neighbours were selling their house, and later I came across the video they had posted online. The footage clearly showed my property and its contents, including personally identifying information. I emailed the agent and asked them to at least blur sensitive details, such as my vehicle registration, which was clearly visible.

These people seem to have no understanding of personal space or privacy, and I honestly think the council should step in and put a stop to this.

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cddt

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#3455203 23-Jan-2026 06:21

Just a couple of weeks ago I was walking with my kids in Cornwall park and we were buzzed by a drone swooping down and around us, despite the fact that drones in this area are strictly forbidden.

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/en/parks-recreation/get-outdoors/drones-unmanned-aerial-vehicles/where-you-can-fly-your-drone-uav.html

Lias

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#3455268 23-Jan-2026 08:52

Tinkerisk:

Then it's no problem to ask the affected property owner beforehand. 😁

Talk to people? In real life? Ewww...

mudguard

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#3455417 23-Jan-2026 12:57

sudara:

Yes, this happened to me too. Someone was flying a drone right in front of our house, and I could see the operator. I spoke to him and asked whether he had a licence. He showed me something in the DJI Fly app, but there was no way to actually verify it.

My neighbours were selling their house, and later I came across the video they had posted online. The footage clearly showed my property and its contents, including personally identifying information. I emailed the agent and asked them to at least blur sensitive details, such as my vehicle registration, which was clearly visible.

These people seem to have no understanding of personal space or privacy, and I honestly think the council should step in and put a stop to this.

The trouble is, it's a question of perspective. If you live in a single story house, and your neighbour has a single story generally you don't see too much. But if a two storey house goes up then it's different. If a drone goes up above the property then you don't really have much say. Licence plate doesn't go anywhere these days so you don't have to worry about that.

Our house is two storey, we look down on our neighbour's spa pool and on the other side we look down on our neighbour's yard. Personally the issue I have is making sure I'm appropriately dressed when I draw our bedroom curtains! I also thought it was odd that the other neighbour's put their spa where they did as I can wave to them as I brush my teeth, which believe me, feels as equally awkward for me as it must do for them.

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