What to Gather Before You Switch Security Providers: A Fill-In Inventory Sheet

Leaving a line empty is fine. An empty line tells you what to look for next. Copy each block below into a shared note or spreadsheet and fill it in. Here's the sheet, section by section.

Changing property managers rather than security companies? Start with our property manager transition guide. If your installer has gone out of business, see our first two weeks guide first.

What you need

• A phone for photos.
• A shared note or spreadsheet.
• Contracts, invoices and anything with a model number on it.
• Someone who knows the building: a super, an office manager or a long-time employee.

One rule for the whole sheet: look, don't touch. Photograph labels you can see from the outside. Don't open any panel, cabinet or recorder, and don't unplug or move anything. If a label is out of sight, write "inside" and leave it for the walkthrough. If you see smoke or fire, smell burning, or find water near powered equipment, leave the area and call 911 or emergency services first.

Section 1: Site basics

• Property name and address:
• Who the new provider should talk to on site:
• Best days and hours for a walkthrough:
• Rooms where equipment lives (for example back office, basement closet, roof):

Section 2: Equipment

Fill in each line you can. Model numbers matter more than you'd think. A maker's support rules depend on the product and the date it was discontinued. Axis, for example, publishes how long it supports a product after discontinuation, and it can differ for hardware shipped before April 1, 2020. You can only look that up with a model number.

• Cameras, how many:
• Cameras, where (entrances, lobby, parking, and so on):
• Cameras, brand and model if the label is visible:
• Recorders or cloud bridges, how many:
• Recorders or cloud bridges, which room:
• Recorders or cloud bridges, model and serial (photo of the label):
• Door access, controller location:
• Door access, reader brand and model:
• Door access, credential types in use (fobs, cards, phone credentials, PINs):
• Video intercom, brand on the panel:
• Video intercom, how many entrances:
• Alarm, keypad brand:
• Alarm, monitored (yes, no, not sure):
• Network, internet provider:
• Network, router or switch brand if printed on the outside:
• Anything else (gates, elevators, garage doors, AV):

Section 3: Cloud accounts and who owns them

This is the section most people can't finish, and it's the most important one. For each platform you use, write down who owns the account. Don't write the password.

• Door access (for example Brivo), account owner name:
• Door access, email on the account:
• Door access, who else is an administrator:
• Cloud video (for example Eagle Eye Networks), account owner:
• Cloud video, email on the account:
• Alarm app (for example Alarm.com), account holder:
• Alarm app, email on the account:
• Video intercom app (for example ButterflyMX), account owner:
• Video intercom app, email:
• Phone credentials (for example HID Mobile Access), portal owner:
• Phone credentials, email:

Two notes for this section:

1. If an email address belongs to a former manager or the old installer, say so. That's exactly what your new provider needs to know. If you're a PAX customer, we can change or add Brivo admin emails. If you're not, call us and we'll talk through your options.
2. Phone credentials usually live in two places. HID's FAQ says its Mobile IDs are managed in a separate portal and stored on each person's phone, and that when someone uninstalls the app or changes phones, a new Mobile ID must be issued. In that case it also says the Mobile IDs have to be replaced in the access control system. So ask who holds the portal login and who holds the access system login.

Also write down who gets alerts today. Camera alerts, alarm alerts and door alerts can still be going to a person who has since left. If you use Alarm.com, ask who gets the alarm alerts and whether you can see them yourself.

Section 4: Contracts and paperwork

• Alarm monitoring company name and phone number:
• Name the monitoring account is billed under:
• Renewal or end date, and any notice period you can find in the contract:
• Service or maintenance agreement (who, what it covers, end date):
• Warranty paperwork and purchase invoices, where they are:
• Drawings, as-built plans or wiring notes, if any exist, where they are:
• Name of the company that originally bought the equipment:

The last line matters. Axis, for example, defines its limited hardware warranty as running to the original purchaser. If you don't know who bought the equipment, check with the maker before you count on warranty coverage.

Section 5: Who has access today

Write down numbers and groups, not codes.

• How many active fobs, cards or phone credentials, if you can find out:
• Groups or roles in the system (staff, tenants, vendors, cleaners):
• Who can add or remove people:
• People who have left but may still be active:
• Shared fobs or shared PINs that you know about:

If you can already log in, export or print the user list from the system. Treat it as private, because it names people. Share it only with the provider you've chosen, and not in an open email thread. If you can't log in, that's useful to know. Our guide on who actually has access to your building explains what a real audit looks like.

Section 6: What isn't working, and what you want

• Cameras that are dark, blurry or missing:
• Doors that don't open, stick or get propped:
• False alarms or alerts nobody trusts:
• Things you can't do today that you want to do (view from a phone, pull a clip quickly, remove someone in minutes):
• Why you're switching, in one sentence:

What to do with the sheet

Send it to the new provider before the walkthrough. The more you fill in, the more of the visit goes to your building and the less to detective work.

Then ask three questions:

1. What can be reused, and what can't? Our guide on reusing existing cameras and card readers covers how to find out.
2. How will the switch be planned to minimize disruption, and what will be offline and when?
3. What do you need from me that I don't have yet?

If you'd rather not do it alone

If you can't fill in the sheet, that's normal, and it's a good reason to ask for help. Call PAX at (855) 440-5353 or email info@paxsecurity.com, and we will talk it through. You can also reach us through https://paxsecurity.com/contact-us. Our System Takeover page explains how we assess what can be reused and plan the transition to minimize disruption.

Sources

• PAX Security, What Happens to Your Building's Security When You Switch Property Managers: https://paxsecurity.com/learn/security-system-property-manager-transition
• PAX Security, Who Actually Has Access to Your Building Right Now?: https://paxsecurity.com/learn/who-has-access-to-your-building
• Axis Communications, General support policy after discontinuation date: https://www.axis.com/support/warranty/general-support-policy-after-discontinuation-date
• HID Global, HID Mobile Access Frequently Asked Questions (PLT-02085, Rev. C.8, April 2026): https://doc.origo.hidglobal.com/faq/portal/HID_Mobile_Access_FAQ.pdf
• Accessed 2026-11-02. Vendor pages change, so check the current page before you follow a step.