Where to leave a spare key, and where never to

A neighbor beats any hiding place.

Under the mat, above the door frame, in the meter box and under the nearest flowerpot are the four places anyone checks first. So is the top of the wheel arch of the car on the drive. Treat all of them as no better than leaving the door unlocked.

If a key has to live outside, get it away from the door. Distance is the only real protection a hiding place offers: something twenty or thirty feet from the entrance, at a spot you can describe over the phone but a passer-by would not think to search.

A combination key box is a step up, because it moves the problem from finding the key to knowing a code. Fit it somewhere not visible from the street, set a code that is not the house number or the year, and change it after any contractor has used it.

The better answers are usually not hiding places at all: a trusted neighbor, a relative nearby, or a smart lock with a temporary code you can revoke.

Part of the Stalwart guides. See all guides.