@webellowe 

Hi, 
You can try the following steps:
1. Enable a hotspot Wi-Fi on your phone, and set the name and password the same as the Wi-Fi network in the apartment.

2. Factory reset the camera, reconfigure it with another phone, and connect it to the hotspot Wi-Fi.

3. After the camera is configured successfully, insert the SD card into the camera, format it by following the instructions on the Tapo app, enable the detection feature on the camera, and set up the recording feature as per your desire.
How to use the Detection function of the Tapo cameras
Where can I find detection recordings of Tapo cameras on the Tapo app?
How can I view continuous recordings of Tapo cameras on the Tapo app?

4. Turn off the hotspot Wi-Fi on your phone, reboot the camera, and it will connect to the home Wi-Fi usually.

5. Since the detection feature and recording feature work without an internet connection, you can go to the Tapo app > camera's Playback & Download > Playback > SD card page to find/watch the detection video clips.

Best Regards

  @webellowe 

Hi,
You can try the hotspot Wi-Fi from your laptop. And if your home Wi-Fi doesn't have special settings, such as AP isolation, you can try to configure the camera to connect to the home Wi-Fi directly.
Best Regards

  @webellowe 

Hi,
Usually, it's able to configure the camera to connect to the home Wi-Fi via the Tapo app even if the Wi-Fi has no internet, however, you can only control the camera locally when the phone connects to the same Wi-Fi.
Best Regards