Can Another Company Take Over Your Existing Alarm System?
Yes, as we read Queensland’s law, a licensed company can take over an alarm it didn’t install. Whether it can on your site comes down to practical questions: can someone get into the panel, is the old monitoring account still open, does the equipment belong to you, and can the parts still be supported?
This is general information. Get legal advice where money, ownership or a contract is in dispute.
Who can service an alarm another company installed: as we read the law, it isn’t limited to the installer
As we read it, Queensland’s law doesn’t tie servicing to the company that fitted the alarm. The Security Providers Act 1993 covers people who install, repair, service or maintain security equipment for reward, with limited exceptions, such as in-house staff working on their employer’s own equipment. Its examples include an alarm and an alarm monitoring system. Neither the Act nor the licence wording mentions the original installer. That’s our reading of the words, so ask a lawyer if it matters in a dispute.
A company supplying this work needs a security firm licence, and an installer’s licence can only go to an individual, so its technicians hold their own.
The old installer is still worth a call. Bosch’s Australian support site recommends starting there for its panels, because they’ll know the setup and codes.
Access Alarms opened in December 2006 and, in most cases, can service, repair and upgrade a system another company installed. Whether a particular system can stay comes down to what a technician finds on site. We cover Brisbane and South East Queensland from Eagle Farm. See our commercial alarms and Brisbane pages.
First, work out which situation you’re in
Your first move depends on why the old company isn’t helping. Find your row, start there, and keep notes of who you called and when.
| Your situation | What you may be missing | Your first move |
|---|---|---|
| The installer has closed | Codes, service history, a working contact for monitoring | Look the company up with ASIC, then look for the monitoring account |
| The installer won’t answer | Codes and records they may still hold | Ask in writing for the records and codes, give a date, and check ASIC anyway |
| You inherited the system with the building or lease | All of it, maybe even the installer’s name | Check the keypad for a service contact, then ask the last occupant, agent or landlord |
If the alarm company has closed, ASIC’s records show what that means
Search the company on ASIC’s registers and on its published notices website, which lists insolvency and deregistration notices. “Closed” can mean a few different things, and each one points you to a different person.
- Still registered, no notices. Treat it as an installer who’s stopped answering. Keep your written requests going while you line up another company.
- In liquidation. ASIC says an independent registered liquidator takes control of the company, so ask them about your account and records. If you prepaid, ask whether you can lodge a claim on a proof of debt form. Unsecured creditors can’t start or continue legal action against the company unless the court permits.
- Deregistered. ASIC says a deregistered company normally ceases to exist as a legal entity, and property it owned, other than trust property, normally passes to ASIC. If it may still have owned equipment on your site, get legal advice.
What to gather before anyone visits
Gather paperwork and photos first, because a technician who knows what’s there can tell you more, sooner. You can collect everything below without opening anything.
- Photos of every keypad, including any brand name, model or service sticker
- Invoices, service reports and any monitoring contract
- Bank records showing regular payments to a security or monitoring company
- Any codes you hold, and who else has them
- What the keypad shows right now, such as a lit fault light
- A floor plan with the sensors, sirens and keypads marked
- A list of who arms and disarms the system, cleaners included
- Your lease, or the body corporate manager’s details
Leave the alarm box shut. In Queensland, security equipment work for reward generally needs a security licence, and the Electrical Safety Office says anyone performing electrical work must hold an electrical work licence. Owner checks stop at the keypad and the paperwork.
Equipment, codes and the monitoring account can each have a different owner
Paying for the alarm doesn’t settle all three, so check each one separately. A building owner might own the panel while a former tenant’s name is still on the monitoring account.
| Question | Where to look | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the equipment? | Purchase invoice, service contract, lease, sale contract for the building | Was it bought outright, or supplied under a rental, lease or finance deal? |
| Who controls the codes? | The old installer, the last site manager, your handover notes | Who holds the master code and the installer code today? |
| Who holds the monitoring account? | Invoices, the contract, the monitoring centre | Whose name is it in, and when can it end? |
If rental or finance is possible, the Personal Property Securities Register may help, with limits. Its search guidance is written for buyers checking goods they intend to buy, and a search by organisation needs the right company’s details, usually its ACN. The PPSR isn’t a register of ownership, and it excludes fixtures to land, so it may not settle things for an installed alarm. Some leases create interests that can be registered, and the PPSR recommends legal advice on whether one does.
Read the monitoring contract before you stop paying. The ACCC lists automatic renewal terms among the common types that may be unfair. Since 9 November 2023, the Australian Consumer Law has prohibited proposing, using or relying on unfair terms in standard form contracts with consumers and small businesses, for contracts made or renewed from that date, and for terms varied or added from then. A business can count as small on staff numbers or on annual turnover. Ask a lawyer whether a term is unfair.
How to tell if the old monitoring account is still live
Ask the monitoring centre to confirm the account, then have a technician send a test signal and check it arrives.
- Check bank records and invoices for a recent monitoring charge.
- Call the centre named on those papers and ask whether the site has an active account, whose name it’s in, and who they’d phone after an alarm.
- Have a licensed technician send a test signal while the centre watches for it, then get the result in writing.
- Note any keypad fault. Bosch’s lists for its Solution panels include Communication Fail and Telephone Line Fail, and Bosch says most faults need an installer to fix them.
Older systems need one more check. Telstra lists fire and security alarms among the devices affected when its 3G network closed, and the Australian Government says some security systems lost functionality after the 2024 switch-offs. Read how to check an alarm after the 3G shutdown. Our SafeDial monitoring guide has more on monitoring an alarm.
Locked panel and no code: ask a technician and don’t guess
A missing code changes the job, but it doesn’t have to end the takeover. Start with a dated written request to the old installer, if they still exist. If that goes nowhere, a licensed technician can tell you what’s possible for that model.
Here’s how Bosch’s guide splits the two main codes on one panel range, the Solution 2000/3000. Other panels may differ, and we don’t publish code values or reset steps.
| Code | What it reaches on this panel | Why it matters in a takeover |
|---|---|---|
| Master code | Changing the master code and user codes | Controls who can use the system day to day |
| Installer code | Zone programming, receiver numbers, the monitoring account code, the walk test | Controls how the system is set up and where it reports |
Bosch’s guide also lists a procedure for defaulting the panel, done at the circuit board with the power removed. Leave that to the technician, and ask these questions first:
- Can this panel be reset, and which settings would that lose?
- If the panel has to be replaced, can the sensors and wiring stay?
- What proof do you need that I’m allowed to authorise this?
- Once you’re in, will you change the old codes and remove old users?
On a Bosch system, see our guide to changing PIN codes.
Leased sites: get the authority in writing before work starts
On a leased site, start with the lease, and read it before you book anyone. Queensland’s Small Business Commissioner notes that a lease can include or exclude specific repair and maintenance items, and tells parties to review the lease or seek legal advice.
| Who’s involved | What the Queensland source says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant wanting changes | Since 1 August 2025, a set process applies when a tenant asks to alter the premises or carry out works, and a landlord must not unreasonably withhold consent | Ask early and keep the reply |
| Tenant leaving | A tenant is generally required to leave premises as they were at the start of the lease, and make good can involve removing fixtures or fittings | Agree in writing what stays |
| Body corporate | It must maintain common property, and each owner maintains their lot. The survey plan shows the boundaries | Check the plan and ask the committee or manager |
Retail tenants should also check whether the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 applies.
On a building format plan, the body corporate is usually responsible for utility infrastructure on common property, in a boundary structure or servicing more than one lot. Fixtures an occupier installed for their own benefit, and equipment inside a lot that serves only that lot, generally fall to the owner. The guidance doesn’t name alarms, so check the plan and ask the committee or manager.
How to check a company is licensed in Queensland: use the free register
Queensland keeps a free public online register of licensed security employees and firms, so you can check any company yourself. It matters for you too: under section 9 of the Security Providers Act, a person must not engage someone to do this work for reward unless they hold the appropriate licence.
- Ask for the firm’s full name and licence number.
- Search it on the Queensland Government licence search.
- Check the licence number, holder’s name and type of licence match what you were told. The “details current at” field shows when the data was last updated.
- If nothing comes up, check your spelling and ask the firm. No result might mean the licence has expired, is inactive or was cancelled, or that it was only issued that day.
For the licence status, class, expiry date and any conditions, ask for an official extract, which costs a fee. The free result is for your information only and can’t be used as evidence in legal proceedings.
What a takeover visit should test
A useful first visit ends with a written report on the condition of the system and what it would take to fix. Ask what’s included before you book.
- Every fault on the panel read and explained. Bosch’s lists include Battery Fail, Horn Speaker Fail and Fuse Fail.
- A walk test of each sensor
- A check of how the system reports, plus a test signal to the monitoring centre
- An updated zone list that matches your floor plan
- A note of any parts that can’t be supported any more
- Old codes changed and old users removed
If the alarm keeps going off, our guide to common causes of false alarms will help you describe the pattern. On a large site, walk it first with the warehouse security checklist.
When a takeover is the wrong call
A takeover is the wrong call when you’d be spending money to keep something that can’t do the job. There’s no single answer, and a system doesn’t have to be all kept or all replaced. These signs can help you weigh it up with a technician.
| What you find | What it points to |
|---|---|
| You’ve got access, and the panel and sensors test well | Keep it, and service it |
| Everything works except the way the alarm sends signals to the monitoring centre (the reporting path), which runs on 3G | Ask about replacing that part before replacing the system |
| The equipment belongs to someone else | Settle ownership first. It may have to go back |
| Parts can’t be supported | Plan an upgrade. See what Tecom and Challenger owners can do |
| The site has changed and the sensors no longer match it | Have the coverage redesigned, reusing what still suits |
| Nobody needs the alarm any more | Have it taken out. Read how to remove an old alarm system |
What moves the cost of taking over an alarm
The cost of a takeover depends on what the technician finds, so we don’t publish a set figure here. Two sites with the same alarm brand can need very different work. These things can affect it.
- How many panels, keypads and sensors there are
- Whether anyone has the codes, or the panel needs reset or replacing
- How many faults turn up, and whether parts can still be sourced
- Whether the reporting path needs replacing, such as a 3G unit
- Any exit terms left in the old monitoring contract
- How many sites are involved, and when technicians can get access
Ask for a quote that lists attendance, inspection, parts, programming, monitoring changeover, testing and paperwork as separate lines. Then you can compare two quotes on the same scope and see which items one company has left out.
Your next step
If the budget is the sticking point, start with what drives the cost of a commercial security system. If you’re ready for someone to look at the system, see our security system servicing page or call 1300 049 969. We handle servicing, fault repair, upgrades and 24/7 monitoring from one team.
Frequently asked questions
Can another company service an alarm it did not install?
As we read Queensland’s Act and licence wording, yes, because neither ties servicing to the original installer. The company needs a security firm licence, its technicians need individual licences, and someone has to get access to the panel. Access Alarms services and upgrades systems other companies installed. Whether yours is worth keeping comes down to an on-site inspection.
What happens to my monitoring if the alarm company closes?
Find out quickly, and don’t assume either way. Ring the centre named on your invoices and ask if the account is open. Then have a licensed technician send a test signal while the centre confirms it arrived. Until that’s done, treat the site as possibly unmonitored, and check whether your insurance policy says anything about monitoring.
What if nobody has the master or installer code?
Get a licensed technician to inspect the panel. Options vary by model, so ask whether it can be reset, what that would lose, and whether the sensors and wiring can stay if the panel changes. Ask what proof they’ll need that you can approve the work. Try not to guess codes on the keypad yourself.
Do I own the alarm equipment on my site?
Maybe. Start with the purchase invoice and any contract, because equipment supplied under a rental, lease or finance deal may belong to someone else or carry a claim. A PPSR search can show a registered interest, but the PPSR isn’t a register of ownership, so a clear result won’t settle every case. If the answer affects what you do next, ask a lawyer to read the paperwork.
Who can authorise a takeover on a leased site?
Start with the lease, and find out who owns the system. If the lease requires the landlord’s consent for works that alter the premises, the tenant asks for it, and the landlord can’t unreasonably withhold it. In strata, check the plan and ask the committee or manager, because responsibility can sit with the body corporate or a lot owner. Get the answer in writing.
Does an alarm technician need a licence in Queensland?
Generally, yes. Installing, repairing, servicing or maintaining an alarm for reward is licensed work under the Security Providers Act 1993, with limited exceptions, such as in-house staff working on their employer’s own equipment. The rule reaches customers too, since a person must not engage someone for this work unless they hold the appropriate licence. You can look up a firm or a person on the state’s free online register.
What drives the cost of taking over an alarm?
Several things can affect the work: whether anyone has the codes, how the panel and sensors test, whether the reporting path needs replacing, how big the site is, and what’s left on an old monitoring contract. Ask each company to itemise its quote, so you’re comparing the same scope of work.
Sources
- Security Providers Act 1993 (Qld), sections 6B, 8, 8A, 9 and 10. Queensland Legislation. legislation.qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Apply for a security equipment installer licence. Queensland Government. qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Check a licence. Queensland Government, Office of Fair Trading. qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Check a security licence. Queensland Government, Office of Fair Trading. qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Fault Analysis for Bosch and Solution Alarm Panels. Bosch Security Australia support. boschsecurityaustralia.freshdesk.com. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Solution 2000/3000 LCD Alphanumeric Codepad (Menu Programming). Bosch Security Systems, programming guide, card dated 09/15. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Search ASIC registers. ASIC. asic.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Insolvency notices. ASIC. asic.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Liquidation: A guide for creditors. ASIC. asic.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Deregistered company property. ASIC. asic.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Protecting your business assets. Personal Property Securities Register. ppsr.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Leases, bailments and consignments that can be registered on the PPSR. Personal Property Securities Register. ppsr.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Businesses urged to remove unfair contract terms ahead of law changes. ACCC, 11 September 2023. accc.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Small Business unfair contract terms in focus. ACCC, 13 November 2017. accc.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Telstra 3G Service Closure. Telstra. telstra.com.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- 3G network switch off. Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure. infrastructure.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Don’t do your own electrical work. Electrical Safety Office, Queensland. electricalsafety.qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Ending a lease. Business Queensland. business.qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Queensland’s new Property Law Act: what commercial tenants, landlords and property agents need to know. Queensland Small Business Commissioner. qsbc.qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Repairs and maintenance. Queensland Small Business Commissioner. qsbc.qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Body corporate maintenance. Queensland Government. qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
- Building format plan and building units plan maintenance. Queensland Government. qld.gov.au. Accessed 5 November 2026.
