Think about portability before you buy
If you expect to move in a year or two, the most important decision happens at purchase. Equipment that is wireless, battery-powered and attaches with adhesive or no fixings tends to move easily. Equipment that is wired into walls, built into doors or tied to a specific installer’s account tends to stay. Knowing which is which before you move saves money and frustration.
Devices that usually move easily
Hubs and base stations. A hub plugs into power and your router, so it generally goes with you. You will normally need to reconnect it to the new network and possibly reset it.
Wireless door and window sensors. These are often peel-and-stick or small screw-on units and are easy to remove. Take care with adhesive pads, which may need replacing. Because they are paired to the hub, keep track of which sensor went where and plan to re-enroll them if needed.
Motion detectors and indoor cameras. Battery or plug-in units are usually portable. See the article on motion detectors for placement ideas in a new space.
Video doorbells. Many are battery powered, or wired into existing doorbell wiring. The mounting plate may need to be reinstalled. If a doorbell was screwed into the frame, leave the area tidy and ask the landlord if filling holes is expected. More on the pros and cons of video doorbells is available elsewhere on this site.
Keypads and sirens. Plug-in or battery units move easily if they were not hard-mounted.
Portable physical items. Door braces, window bars, lockboxes, safes (if not bolted) and timers move with you.
Smart plugs and lights. These are portable but may need setup again.
Devices that often stay behind
- Wired sensors, hard-wired panels and sirens built into the structure. Removing them leaves cut wiring and holes, and the equipment may belong to the landlord or to a provider.
- Installed locks and deadbolts. Normally these belong to the property. If you paid to upgrade a lock, ask in writing at the start whether you may remove it, and restore the original when you go. Otherwise, leave it and consider the cost a lesson for next time.
- Equipment under lease or a provider contract. If the hardware is leased, it may have to be returned or may be tied to an account. See the article on equipment leasing.
- Cameras on exterior walls with power and cable runs. Wired cameras with cable through walls stay unless removed with care.
- Anything installed by the landlord or building, including shared entry hardware.
Before you move
- Read the lease for what you must leave and what you may remove, and keep any written permission you received for changes.
- Inventory your system. List each device, its location and how it is attached. Photograph the layout.
- Check batteries and warranty. Fresh batteries before you reinstall save troubleshooting. This is a good time for the replacement routine in the article on sensor batteries.
- Check accounts and contracts. If you pay for monitoring or cloud storage, see whether the provider lets you transfer service to a new address, pause it or cancel. Terms vary. The article on cancellation terms and moving home with a contract goes through the issues, and the article on reading a service contract helps with the details.
- Back up footage you want to keep, because some stored recordings are tied to the account or device. See the article on cloud storage or local options for where footage lives.
- Plan the repairs. Removing adhesive pads and filling small screw holes may be required. Ask the landlord what is expected. Deposits and repair rules differ by place.
Wiping and handing over
Before you leave a rental:
- Remove your devices from your account so the next occupant cannot see your data.
- Factory reset anything you are leaving or selling.
- Remove stored Wi-Fi credentials and delete saved footage.
- If you are leaving a keypad or smart lock that belongs to the property, delete your personal codes. The next tenant’s setup is covered by the article on keeping settings up to date for new occupants.
Do not leave devices that record in place without telling the landlord, who may have legal duties about disclosure to future occupants.
Setting up in the new place
- Reassess the layout. Your new home has different entry points. Start with a quick walk-through and a fresh look, as described in the article on risk assessment, rather than copying the old arrangement.
- Change the locks or ask for it. Whoever lived there before may still have keys. Ask the landlord about rekeying.
- Check the network. Wi-Fi coverage at the new address may differ, so test signal where each device will sit, and see the article on Wi-Fi reliability.
- Update the passwords and settings. Use a strong, unique password for each account and two-factor authentication where offered.
- Test everything. Open each door and window with sensors fitted, and confirm alerts arrive. Our article on system testing explains why this matters.
- Update emergency contacts and the address with any service, and tell your household how things work.
A note on timing
Plan to set up the most important protection, such as door locks and any sensors on the main entry, on the first day. Fine-tuning can wait. A move is also a time when boxes are everywhere, doors are open and strangers are in and out, so extra care with locking up is warranted.