Where to Keep a Spare House Key (and Where Not To)

• Places burglars check first
• Better options
• Label carefully
• Already locked out?

A spare key can save you a lockout call. Hidden in the wrong place, it can also let someone else in.

§Places burglars check first

• Under the doormat or a flowerpot by the door.
• On top of the door frame or porch light.
• Inside fake rocks near the entrance.
• In the mailbox.

§Better options

• Leave a spare with a trusted neighbor, friend or family member nearby.
• Use a lockbox with a code, mounted somewhere not obvious from the street.
• Replace the need for a hidden key with a keypad lock.

§Label carefully

Don’t put your address on a key tag. If a key ring is lost with an address on it, plan a rekey.

§Already locked out?

A house lockout visit gets you in without damage, and key cutting can make the spare you meant to have.

From Choice City Locksmith, serving Fort Collins, Loveland and nearby towns, 5 AM to 9 PM daily.

Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.