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Key Management Habits: Spares, Lenders and Lockouts

A heavy steel deadbolt, a reinforced strike plate and a set of keys on a dark timber door frame under warm rose-red lamplight, deep charcoal tones — door lock and safe guide

Keys are the most underrated security device in the house, mostly because nobody keeps track of them. This guide covers the honest key-management habits that prevent the classic failures: the spare under the mat that burglars check first (replace it with a bolted key safe or a trusted holder), the copy held by ex-tenants, ex-trades and ex-partners that a $30 rekey should retire, and the lockout that costs $100-$250 from a locksmith when a spare held by someone you trust would have cost nothing. It also covers code discipline for keypads and smart locks — a birthday-code door is the digital mat key — and the simple household standard: two trusted spares in two trusted places, a written list of key holders, and a rekey the week anyone moves out.

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Get your key situation under control — where the spares really live, who has copies, and the honest lockout and lost-key routine that keeps a $5 mistake from becoming a $500 rekey.

Answer 0-10 (10 = the stronger end for every question — no wrong answers). Your answers stay on this device — nothing is stored.

Hollow doors, basic knobs — 5 — Solid doors, real deadbolts
Short screws, soft timber — 5 — Reinforced and solid
Open invitation — 5 — All secured
Keys everywhere — 5 — Controlled and rekeyed

Why it matters

  • The spare key under the mat, under the pot plant or in the fake rock is the most clichéd entry method in burglary for one reason: it works, and burglars check the obvious spots first — the honest fix is a key safe (combination lockbox) bolted out of sight, or no spare outside at all.
  • Every key you hand out is a key you do not control: ex-tenants, ex-trades, ex-partners and the neighbour who 'just wants one for emergencies' — when the list gets long, a $10 lock change or a $30 rekey (or a $5 cylinder swap you do yourself) is cheap insurance.
  • The lockout maths is brutal: a locksmith callout averages $100-$250, which is 10-50 times the cost of a spare key held by someone you trust or a programmed code on a key safe — the question is not whether you will be locked out, but when.
  • Modern key management is not all metal: keypad locks and smart locks remove the physical spare entirely, but the code becomes the key — a birthday-code door lock is the digital version of the mat key, and a code shared with every visitor is a code that should change seasonally.
  • The honest standard for a household: two trusted spare keys in two different trusted places (a key safe and a relative's house), a written list of who holds keys, and a rekey the week a key-holder moves out.

Your checklist

  • Count your keys today: front door, back door, garage, car, work — and decide which one key opens the most (that is the one to protect).
  • Retrieve the mat/rock/plant spares and replace them with a bolted key safe or a trusted-holder spare.
  • Write the list: who currently holds a key or code to your home (family, flatmates past and present, trades, cleaners, agents).
  • Rekey or re-code anything held by someone who no longer needs it — this week, not next month.
  • Choose your two spare locations and tell the household where they are (paper note in the safe-deposit habits of your own head is how spares get lost).
  • If you have a code pad or smart lock, change the code now if it is a date, an address or '1234', and set a reminder to rotate it twice a year.
  • Test the lockout routine once: with a locked door and no phone, can you get in via your spare plan in under 10 minutes? If not, fix the plan.

❓ Key Management Habits: Spares, Lenders and Lockouts — FAQ

Where should I hide a spare key?

Not under the mat, pot plant or fake rock — burglars check the obvious spots first because they work. The honest options are a combination key safe bolted out of sight, or a spare held by someone you trust who actually lives nearby.

How often should I rekey my locks?

The week any key holder moves out — ex-tenants, ex-flatmates, ex-partners and trades who kept a copy all count. A cylinder swap you do yourself costs about $5-$15; a locksmith rekey runs higher but is still cheap insurance against a key you no longer control.

How much does a locksmith cost for a lockout?

Typical callouts run $100-$250 depending on the time of day and the lock. That is the honest argument for the boring system: two spare keys in two trusted places (a key safe and a relative's house), tested once so you know the plan works.

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Educational information only — not professional security advice, and never a guarantee of safety or outcomes. Crime risk varies by neighbourhood, and the most effective measures are usually the boring ones: locked doors, working lights and habits you keep. The tools give plain-language estimates and checklists, not inspections or security assessments. For a genuine threat, a licensed security professional or your local police non-emergency line is the right next step. Refunds honoured.
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