IT for condo associations: where the board should start

Published 2026-11-03 · 6 min read · By the Alian Digital team

In many buildings cameras were installed by one party, the intercom by another and internet in the lift by a third. As a result nobody knows what stands where and who is responsible for what. Start with order.

Step 1. Inventory

Make a list: cameras and recorder, intercoms and access control, internet in common areas, lifts, pumps, lighting. For each item write where it is, who installed it, when, and where the documents are.

Step 2. Priorities

• Security: cameras at entrances, in the yard and the parking lot, access control.
• Connectivity: internet and mobile signal in lifts and stairwells, Wi-Fi in technical rooms.
• Records and communication: a site or bot for residents, announcements, requests.
• Monitoring: alerts for outages, pumps, fire alarms.

Step 3. Documentation and access

Diagrams, passwords and access must belong to the association, not the contractor. Keep them in a password manager for the board. Otherwise when you change contractor you will be locked out.

Step 4. Rules

Decide who has access to cameras and recordings, how long the archive is kept and how residents can submit a request. Legal requirements for video surveillance and personal data should be checked with a lawyer.

Step 5. One contractor instead of five

When one team maintains cameras, network, intercoms and connectivity, the board has it easier: one conversation, one report, clear deadlines.

Step 6. Budget in stages

You do not have to do everything at once. Start with what hurts most and spread the rest into steps with an estimate.