Offboarding Checklist: How to Remove a Former Employee from Every Security System
Someone's last day is today. The badge is easy to remember. The alarm code, the camera app login and the intercom entry are the ones that get missed.
Make a list of every system the person used: door access, alarm, cameras, intercom, and any shared codes or keys. Then work through them in that order. For door access, suspend the person first. Suspending cuts access right away and keeps the record, so it's easy to undo and easy to audit. Delete later, once you're sure. Finish by changing anything the person shared with others, like a common alarm code, and write down what you did. If you can't find an admin login for one of the systems, or you aren't sure which systems exist, stop there and call us. That's the part most buildings get stuck on.
This checklist walks through every system that can hold a person's access, in an order that works when you only have an hour.
What you need
- An administrator login for each system. Many buildings have two or three, held by different people.
- The person's full name and the email they used. Names can differ between systems.
- A list of what they were given: cards, fobs, mobile credentials, PINs, alarm codes, app logins, keys.
- A few quiet minutes. A mistake here can lock out the wrong person.
The checklist
1. Door access (Brivo, Avigilon Alta or another cloud system)
This is usually the biggest one, so start here.
If you use Brivo Access:
- Click Users in the left menu, then Users.
- Search for the person by name, status or group, and click their name.
- Click Suspend User, then click Suspend User again to confirm.
Brivo says suspending puts all of the person's credentials in a suspended state right away. They stay suspended until someone reinstates them. To delete the profile instead, Brivo's delete article says your administrator role needs the Delete User, Edit User Profiles and Assign User Credentials permissions.
Brivo says past door events stay in the system after a user is deleted. If you need a record of what a person did, export it or ask PAX before you delete. Suspend first, and delete once you're sure.
Suspending cuts the credentials in the system, but a card, fob or phone credential is still with the person. Collect any card or fob either way.
If you have a lot of people to remove at once, Brivo's bulk actions can suspend or delete up to 100 users at a time. It needs the Enhanced Access pack, which Brivo says is included in Professional and Enterprise editions.
If you use Avigilon Alta Access:
- Open the Users page and select the person.
- Choose the option to deactivate them. Avigilon's page shows it as an icon, so follow your own screen. Avigilon says deactivated users are kept in the system for reporting and record keeping, and you can find them again by choosing Inactive in the status column.
- For several people at once, tick their boxes, open Batch actions and click Deactivate users.
Avigilon's guide also describes a hard delete. It's permanent, only a Super Admin can do it, and it removes the person's activity along with their credentials. For most offboarding, deactivating is the safer first move.
One more thing from Avigilon: a card credential isn't removed when a user is only deactivated. Collect the card either way. If you reassign it to someone new, Alta Access shows who currently holds it.
If your door system is something else, look for the same options: a way to suspend or deactivate a person, and a separate way to delete. Choose the one that keeps the history.
2. Alarm codes (Alarm.com)
Alarm.com's Customer pages say a user code can't be deleted or edited while the system is armed. So make sure it's disarmed first.
Sign in to the Alarm.com app or the web dashboard, open Users, find the person and remove their code. Button names change between app versions, so follow what you see on your screen.
Then ask the harder question: did this person know a code that other people also use? A shared master code or a shared door code needs changing, not just one deletion.
Alarm.com also says a new code can take a few minutes to become active at the panel. If you add a replacement shared code, allow a few minutes and test it before you leave.
3. Camera app and video logins (Eagle Eye Networks and others)
Camera systems usually have their own user list, separate from door access.
In Eagle Eye Networks, the Users tab is where accounts are managed. Eagle Eye's help page says that if you don't see the Users tab, you don't have permission to open it, and you should speak with an account administrator. The Eagle Eye pages we read don't give removal steps, so follow the options on that page, or ask your account administrator or us. Eagle Eye's permissions page also says a user may hold a permission to download video or edit the Archive, so check whether they left any shared links behind in the Archive.
If the person used the camera app on a personal phone, what matters is removing their login in the system.
For other camera brands, look for a Users or Accounts page and remove the person's name. Our guide on checking cameras from your phone safely covers why everyone should have their own login.
4. Intercom (ButterflyMX or similar)
Most intercom systems list residents or tenants. Staff and administrators are often handled separately.
If you use ButterflyMX, its Help Center says to click the three dots next to a tenant's name to edit, send a registration email or move someone out. Menu names can differ between versions, so follow your own screen.
For a staff or administrator account, ButterflyMX's guide says to contact your client success manager to add or delete an administrator. If a former employee is listed as an administrator, don't wait on this one.
5. Things that aren't in a dashboard
- Physical keys. Get them back, and write down who returned them.
- Shared codes. A gate code, a supply room code or a keypad lock code that the person knew should be changed.
- Vendor and contractor accounts the person set up for outside companies.
- Anything on a wall or sticky note.
6. Write it down
Keep a short record: the person's name, the date, which systems you changed, and who did it. Don't write down any codes. A short log makes the next audit quick, and it answers the question "was this person removed?" months later.
What the vendor guides skip
Each vendor page covers one system. Real offboarding crosses several of them.
- Often no one owns the full list. The door system, the alarm and the cameras are often set up by different people at different times. Start with the list, not the screen.
- Deleting too early loses context. If a question comes up later, suspended or deactivated records are easier to review than a clean slate.
- Shared codes are the quiet gap. Removing a person from a dashboard doesn't change a code they memorized.
- A monthly check catches what a last-day checklist misses. Our monthly walkthrough guide covers it.
- If you're also asking who has access today, our guide on who actually has access to your building is a good companion.
If you'd rather not do it yourself
If you aren't sure which systems hold a login, no one has the admin account, or you'd like help reviewing who has access across doors, alarm, cameras and intercom, call PAX at (855) 440-5353 or email info@paxsecurity.com. You can also reach us through https://paxsecurity.com/contact-us.
Sources
- Brivo Support, Suspending a User in Brivo Access (Nov 21, 2025): https://support.brivo.com/s/article/Users-Groups-Suspending-a-User-in-Brivo-Access
- Brivo Support, Deleting a User in Brivo Access (Feb 9, 2026): https://support.brivo.com/s/article/Users-Groups-Deleting-a-User-in-Brivo-Access
- Brivo Support, Admin Bulk Actions - Deleting, Suspending or Reinstating Users (Oct 12, 2026): https://support.brivo.com/s/article/Users-Groups-Admin-Bulk-Actions-Deleting-Suspending-or-Reinstating-Users
- Avigilon, Alta Access admin guide, Deactivate or delete users: https://docs.avigilon.com/bundle/alta-access-admin/page/alta-access/users/user-delete.htm
- Alarm.com, How to Create a User Code: https://alarm.com/resources/how-to-set-up-an-alarm-com-user-code/
- Alarm.com Customer Knowledge Base, Delete a system user code: https://answers.alarm.com/Customer/Website_and_App/User_Management/System_Users/Delete_a_system_user_code
- Eagle Eye Networks support, Adding Users: https://support.een.com/portal/en/kb/articles/adding-17-12-2024
- Eagle Eye Networks support, Eagle Eye User Permissions: https://support.een.com/portal/en/kb/articles/eagle-eye-user-permissions
- ButterflyMX Help Center, Commercial Directory Training Guide: https://help.butterflymx.com/hc/en-us/articles/54564230767124-Commercial-Directory-Training-Guide
- ButterflyMX Help Center, Troubleshooting Common Issues When Adding and Managing Residents: https://help.butterflymx.com/hc/en-us/articles/44411481447188-Troubleshooting-Common-Issues-When-Adding-and-Managing-Residents
- Accessed 2026-10-31 and 2026-11-02. Vendor screens change, so check the current vendor page before you follow a step.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Removing the badge and forgetting the alarm code.
Deleting a person before checking whether their records are needed.
Leaving a former employee listed as an administrator.
Changing one shared code and not telling the people who use it.
Assuming a system is cloud managed when it's an old standalone panel.
Keeping no record of what was changed.
Handing the offboarding to the person who is leaving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I suspend or delete?
Suspend or deactivate first. Brivo says suspended credentials stay suspended until someone reinstates them. Avigilon says deactivated users are kept for reporting and record keeping. Delete once you've decided you don't need the record, and treat a delete as permanent.
What if I can't find the admin login for one of the systems?
Stop and call us. We can help you work out who holds the account and what's connected.
Does removing someone from the app remove their keys and cards?
No. Cards and fobs are physical. Collect them, and check the credential in the system as well.
What if the departure is sudden or sensitive?
Act at the same moment as the conversation, not at the end of the day, and involve HR or the owner. This guide isn't legal advice.
What if the person is still around for a handover?
Suspend door access and change shared codes on the last day. If they need a short handover period, handle it as a scheduled, written exception.
Not sure what your property needs?
PAX Security designs and installs security cameras, access control, intercom, and cabling systems for commercial and multifamily properties across New York City. Tell us about your building and we will give you a straight answer.