I just purchased a building that has alarm.com cameras and a dvr that appears to still work. How can I wipe it clean and start my own account using the same equipment
Hi there, welcome!
Alarm.com cameras and recorders can only be tied to one account at a time. If the previous owner’s Alarm.com account is still active, the devices need to be deleted from it, or that account cancelled, before they can be added to yours. After that, each camera usually needs a factory reset before it can go on a new account.
An Alarm.com recorder also needs an active Alarm.com account and service plan to work, even for local viewing. Plan options are here: Smart Home Automation & Security Plans | Surety
If I started a new subscription, how do I go about finding out if the previous account was closed or not? If it wasn’t closed properly, how would I be able to wipe the recorder and cameras?
You’ll find out when you go to add them. If a camera is still linked to the old account, Alarm.com will show a message saying it’s linked to an account and needs to be removed first. If the add process starts normally, it isn’t registered.
If the old account wasn’t closed, there’s no way to wipe a camera off it from your end. It’s a security feature that keeps cameras from being used by anyone other than the account owner. The previous owner would need to delete the devices or cancel their account with their provider. If you bought through a realtor, they can usually help you get in touch with the previous owner.
The previous owner abandoned everything and left all accounts in default. They didn’t close the account. So even if I purchased a new plan, I would be stuck with a recorder and cameras that can never be used again?
Thanks for the extra detail. Let me check with the team on options for your situation and I’ll follow up here.
We can check whether the cameras and recorder are still registered to the previous account. Could you send us a private message with the MAC address of each camera and the recorder?
If you PM us the MAC address of the cameras and SVR we can check for you before you sign up for your Surety plan, if you would like.