Access control data & compliance checklist (2025)

Intercoms now capture far more than a ring—they log approvals, caller IDs, and sometimes audio. Handling that data responsibly keeps residents safe, reduces liability, and makes RFPs smoother with boards and HOAs.

Protobuzz ships with role-based access, MFA, and export controls so you can answer vendor due diligence without bolting on extra tools. Use this checklist to validate your current setup before renewal season.

Treat access data like any other sensitive system: limit who can see it, keep clear retention rules, and make exports auditable. These habits pay off when insurers or auditors ask how you manage building security.

Clear documentation also reassures residents. Let them know what you track, why you track it, and how long it stays in your system. Transparency builds trust when you introduce new access tools.

Your policy is only useful if it is repeatable. Start with your flagship property, then expand. Keep copies of any vendor DPAs and share them with your legal or procurement lead.

Schedule a short quarterly audit: confirm admins still need access, rotate any static credentials, and verify MFA enrollment. The lighter the process, the more likely teams will keep it up.

Collect only what you need to prove who approved access and when. That usually means timestamps, entrances, and the approving account. Skip recording audio or storing long voicemail copies unless residents opt in and local law allows it. The less you keep, the lower your risk in the event of a breach.

Publish a short privacy notice on your resident portal that explains retention windows, who can export data, and how to request removal when someone moves out. When residents know you are intentional about data, they are more likely to support upgrades and less likely to push back during rollout.

If your building hosts short-term rentals, create a separate policy note for hosts and cleaners. Clarify that guest data is removed after stays and that cleaners use time-bound credentials. This keeps expectations aligned across all stakeholders.

Set a quarterly governance review: confirm admin roles, check MFA enrollment, and spot-audit exports. If you find gaps—like shared logins—close them immediately and document the fix in your change log.

Maintain a single source of truth for DPAs, sub-processor lists, and uptime reports. When boards, HOAs, or insurers ask for proof, you can respond in minutes instead of weeks.

Keep incident exercises lightweight but regular. Simulate a lost device or a data request, and time how fast you can respond. Rehearsals make real events calm and demonstrate to stakeholders that you treat access data seriously.

Maintain a simple binder (digital or physical) with your retention policy, MFA settings, admin roster, and last audit date. Include a sample redacted export so stakeholders see exactly what data exists before they ask.

If regulations change, add a dated note explaining how you adjusted retention or access controls. That paper trail shows intent and makes annual reviews smoother with boards or insurers.

Keep a contacts list for legal, security, and vendor support with expected response times. During an incident, knowing who to call is half the battle.

Pair this checklist with the budgeting guide for boards so finance and security teams see that access control is covered end-to-end.

When you present this to boards or HOAs, include an example log export with sensitive fields redacted. Showing exactly what data exists—and how it is controlled—removes guesswork and speeds up approvals.

Keep a short FAQ handy for residents and staff. Cover how long logs are stored, who can access them, how to request an export, and how MFA is enforced for admins. Clear answers reduce friction when you roll out new access tooling or update policies.

If you operate in multiple jurisdictions, note any local retention or privacy rules. Align your settings to the strictest requirement so you stay compliant everywhere and avoid one-off exceptions that are hard to maintain.

Run an annual tabletop exercise: simulate a lost device, an export request, and an access dispute. Confirm admins can lock accounts quickly, produce logs on demand, and explain retention to stakeholders. Practicing ahead of an incident keeps your team calm when a real request arrives.

Document every change to retention, MFA, or admin roles in a short change log. Share it with legal or compliance reviewers so they can see when controls improved and why. That transparency builds trust with boards and residents alike.

Before renewals, audit your vendor’s sub-processor list and uptime record. If anything changed, capture it in your risk register and share it with procurement. This keeps your due diligence current and avoids surprises during contract reviews.

Keep a single owner for access governance. When one person or team is accountable for retention rules, admin access, and exports, issues get resolved faster and residents know where to go with questions.

Finally, align your access controls with your incident response plan. If a credential is compromised, who revokes access, who communicates with residents, and how do you document the event? Writing this down once saves hours during a real incident.