Bought a House with Vivint, Here is What you do

If you just moved into a new place that already has an existing Vivint security system installed, you are probably wondering what do to next. You might be wondering how to get a pin code, how to activate the system to use the app, or maybe you accidentally triggered the alarm without knowing the pin code and you need it turned off!

My goal of the article is to answer all commonly asked questions about your system. So let's start with the basics.

How do I get activate the Vivint system and get a pin code?

If you bought a house with Vivint, here is what you'll need to do in order to active the system and get a pin code.

1. Call Vivint at 833-606-2573 and press 1 to speak to sales (in order to use the system or get pin code you must be a customer)
2. Give the sales rep your address for them to search for the old account
3. Once they find the old account, they can tell you want is installed and discuss the features of the system with you
4. To activate the service, you'll need to pay your first month of service usually between $29.99 - $49.99 per month (no contract) with the rep over the phone
5. The sales rep will then schedule another phone call with the panel activation team to remotely activate the service, set up your account info, and set up a pin code to use the system.

Once the system is activated, you'll have access to the 24/7 monitoring service, access to the app on the phone, as well as any other features with the system such as cameras, doorlocks etc.

The good news is that when you activate an existing system, you won't have a contract. You'll also save good amount of money since you don't have the buy the equipment too.

Due to security reasons, Vivint will not give out the old pin code from the previous account owner.

If you don't want to use the system, but still need the pin code then your best bet will be to reach out to the previous owners. Otherwise, you'll need to call Vivint or visit their website here to activate the service to get the pin. Since it is month to month, you can always cancel the service after getting your pin if you really don't see yourself using it.

Can I use Vivint equipment without Monitoring?

Yes, you can use Vivint equipment without monitoring. However, you cannot use the app on your phone. You can still arm and disarm the alarm, and have it set up to automate things such as a door lock or thermostat whenever you leave. If someone were to try and break in while the system is armed, it will sound the siren but will not call the police.

You will need the 4 digit pin code to arm and disarm the alarm. You can call the previous home owners to ask them what it was. However, if you call Vivint they will not give that info away for obvious reasons. So if you can’t get in contact with the previous home owners, you can call Vivint to activate the system for one month, get a new pin code, and then just cancel the service after that. Their monitoring service is month to month so they will have to give you a pin code once it’s activated, but you can just cancel it after that and the pin code will still work.

Is the equipment mine to keep?

If you bought the house and the equipment is still in there, then it is yours to keep. If the previous owner failed to move the equipment with them and still owes money on it then they will have to settle it with Vivint. Vivint does not go back for it’s equipment if a person defaults on their payment.

If the customer had notified Vivint before, they would have asked them to move the panel to their new house along with some of the smart home items. Normally Vivint gives them new sensors at the new place.

How much is the monthly price to just activate it?

Vivint has three different pricing plans. They are $29.99, $39.99, and $49.99 per month. The $29.99 covers basic monitoring to police, fire, and medical. This will also cover the app on your phone. For $39.99 per month, you can have everything that $29.99 covers, but also control any smart home items left behind from the app too. This means that if they have an automatic door lock or thermostat, then you can now control that from the app on your phone. Finally for \$49.99, you can control everything including the cameras. This will give you access to monitor the cameras from your smartphone wherever you are at as long as you have cell phone service.

I do want to point out that their service is month to month. Most companies require a 3 year contract or make you pay hundreds of dollars upfront. If you have Vivint in your home already then you can cancel the service anytime without penalty. This makes it the best deal in the security industry assuming that all the equipment is in there.

You can see all vivint pricing plans here.

Can I add on extra equipment like cameras?

Yes, you can add on any extra equipment that Vivint offers after the service is activated. They will have you pay upfront for the item and then send a tech out to install it. If you want over \$600 worth of equipment, then you can finance that amount at 0% APR if you qualify. Then they will just roll the monthly bill into your payment kinda of like a cell phone plan.

I have a complete list their equipment and pricing here

I accidentally triggered the alarm, how do I turn it off?

If you accidentally set the alarm off and you don’t have the pin code there isn’t too much you can do. The only thing you can do is to remove the panel from the wall and then remove the back battery. This will get the panel to turn off and shut the siren down. If the system is not being monitored then you don’t have to worry about the police coming.

Here is a guide to removing the panel and taking out the battery

You can sometimes try the code 1234, 2468, or 2580 to turn the system off because lots of times that is what people leave their code as. It is not a guarantee that it will work though!

If you want to active the service, you can call this number 833-606-2573 or visit their website.

Final Thoughts

I really believe in Vivint’s service and the quality of their equipment. It is exciting to buy a house and already have Vivint installed because most of the work has been done for you! If for whatever reason feel like this isn’t the system for you, I have an article reviewing the best home security systems out there here