How do I prepare my convenience store’s security cameras and records for a handover?

Start with a plain inventory. List the cameras, where each one points, the recorder, how long footage is kept and who has the password. Check that every camera works and the time stamp is right. A buyer will test this, and a system that fails during a tour raises doubts about everything else.

Then think about the recordings themselves. Footage can hold images of customers and staff, so it should not be shared casually. Decide what to do with older recordings, and with any footage tied to an incident, a dispute or an insurance matter. Ask your lawyer what must be kept, what can be passed on and what should be deleted, and write the decision down.

Pull the other security records together: alarm company details, key holders, incident logs, cash-handling procedures and the instructions for opening and closing. Collect any camera or alarm service agreements and check whether they can be assigned. At closing, change every password, code and key together with the buyer, and remove old staff access. Ask the alarm company to update its contacts the same day, and keep a written record of the time and who attended.

Key takeaways

• List each camera, the recorder, retention practice and every password holder.
• Decide with your lawyer what footage is kept, handed over or deleted.
• Gather alarm and camera service agreements and check whether they transfer.
• Reset passwords, codes and keys together at closing.