Video Doorbells

No -- every video doorbell, wired or wire-free, needs a WiFi connection to send live view, notifications, and recorded clips to your phone. A doorbell's local chime may still trigger without WiFi on some models, but you lose remote viewing, notifications, and cloud or local recording access until the connection is restored.

It depends on the model. Wired doorbells generally work with your existing mechanical or digital chime, though some mechanical chimes need a small bypass kit since smart doorbells draw power differently. Wire-free, battery-powered models typically don't connect to old wiring at all and either ship with their own wireless chime or rely solely on phone notifications.

Live view and instant notifications are free on virtually every video doorbell. Recorded video history -- reviewing what happened while you weren't watching -- requires a paid cloud subscription on most brands; a few models offer local, subscription-free storage instead, worth checking if you don't want a recurring fee.

Almost all consumer video doorbells record in short clips triggered by motion or a doorbell press, not continuously. Continuous 24/7 recording is a feature usually reserved for wired security-camera systems, not doorbells, and would drain a battery-powered unit within hours.

Yes -- wire-free, battery-powered doorbells typically mount with an adhesive plate or two small screws into the existing door frame, and several brands sell no-drill mounting kits specifically for rentals. A wired doorbell, by contrast, needs access to existing low-voltage doorbell wiring and isn't a no-modification option.