I absolutely hate cloud solutions but in this case there's a big benefit in that the robbers can't steal or smash your servers.

They can do that to your networking gear though but by then hopefully their image has already made it to the cloud.

In general I wouldn't expect random street criminals to be able to specifically locate and identify and properly disable a nondescript server in a closet in the middle of a break-in. They're frantically looking for cash and jewelry and portable commodity electronics and firearms. Stuff they can pocket and scram and easily use or fence later.

So you did have a cloud camera system in place but it didn’t record them, or you don’t have one because all available options are shitty?

I do (Nest), and it did record them, but the shitty app made it really hard to see what was happening. Takes forever for the app to load, and it can't show all the cameras at once, and tapping into each camera shows another loading spinner, and then seeking through time is frustratingly slow and imprecise. Then there's the split between old cameras in one app and new cameras in another because Google can't be bothered to update old cameras to work with the new app (which is not any better than the old one anyway, worse if anything). It took minutes longer than necessary to get the full picture of what was happening, and when criminals are rifling through your stuff every second matters. Then after the fact it was a huge pain to get the recordings in a form I could archive and share, and there's time pressure because the recordings disappear after just a few days unless manually archived.

OTOH our alarm system (Ring) performed very well.

Yeah my ring alarm worked well too when my place was broken into. It scared them off, they broke down the door but didn't actually come inside.

Unfortunately that prompted to police to be less than helpful (they considered it vandalism instead of a burglary and didn't even take prints). And because they didn't enter the house my cameras didn't see their faces so I couldn't try to track them down on my own either. But at least my stuff was ok.

Ubiquiti cameras store the data on-prem.

Not open source, and not the cheapest (but not absurd either). App is acceptable.

I read elsewhere that people are upset since Ubiquiti now requires using Unifi hub, at least for initial configuration. Maybe others do too?

I think the hub thing is where the local storage is? I don't know if they are just open RTSP things or not that you could use with any random NVR?

I have unifi WiFi APs so have all the rest of the hub/controller anyway and trialled one camera but ultimately opted for Nest cameras instead.

If you insist on 'secure' firmware, you're fighting uphill and probably going to be disappointed with the ecosystem out there. Tunnel back to your home network to access cams if that worries you.

I recommend either Ubiquiti or Reolink cameras, both are power-over-Ethernet. Both offer an app that allows connecting back to your equipment. UI will require their Protect software running on one of their local platforms in your house with storage on 1 or more disk drives, while Reolink offers direct storage on microSD on the camera itself, capped at 256GB.

Unfortunately my house is not wired for Ethernet and it's a rental so I can't install it. Wireless is a must and security is obviously important for wireless. But I think you are correct that I will be disappointed by what's out there.

Unfortunate. Reolink even has wireless cameras, but they will require a DC input, so you'd need an outdoor electrical outlet if you can't drill any holes and sneak either a power or UTP Ethernet cable.

Given the strict physical requirements, you might be looking at battery-backed wireless cameras of the type often found on Amazon, but afaik they will never offer the local storage or control you want.

I will say that surprising things can be accomplished with small drilled holes and a fishtape. Your risk tolerance and how nice the rental are obviously very important factors.

I used a Reolink Argus with a battery and Wi-Fi connection. The one I used is probably EOL now, but a quick look at the site shows even solar chargeable options. So, it is possible.

I've got a Reolink Argus 2E which look like it's been replaced by the 3E, but it works great without any wired connection to the house. I've got it solar powered and strapped to a tree, unprotected by the elements. 2 years and still working.