Who's got the keys to your home?

Whether you are a homeowner, tenant or landlord, there area wide range of people that may have a key to your home.

Can you answer the question?
You may think that you can easily answer the question: who’s got the keys to your home? But wait, it just isn’t that simple. We all lead busy lives, and over the years, for many different reasons you will have given the keys out to many people from the decorator to the babysitter. You can’t always be at home, so it’s the convenient way to get jobs done, or let someone in when you’re not there. It’s an everyday occurrence, and helps us all get on with our day-to-day business.

You may also have left one in that favourite “secret hiding place” and told various people that it is hidden away safe in there. Of course, if you have children, you’ll know how complicated that gets when they start to grow up. They have to have a key of their own, and might just mislay it maybe, share it with a friend, or even their latest partner! If the locks have never been changed over many years (which often happens), who has the key been shared with then?

So, the list grows. Cleaners, tradesman, next-door neighbours, ex-flatmates, the babysitter, the gardener, your in-laws and relatives (you may not even see any more) – the list is endless! Just take a minute now to think, and you might be surprised how many people you remember have or had a key, and could access to your home at any time.

We’re not suggesting that everyone is a threat to your home security, but losing control of who has access to where you live is always a great cause for concern, and some cases may even invalidate your home insurance.

New home owners or tenants

As we have pointed out, the history of who has the keys to any home, can be very wide and varied. The worst thing about the situation from your point of view, is this that from the day you move in, you won’t know who has the keys to your new home! As you can see, we are all very trusting, but do you really trust the characters that have been given a key by the previous owner or tenant? You don’t even know any of them, and they can walk into your home at any time, day or night!

Landlords
Protecting your property is always front of mind, but when tenants move out the question of who’s got the keys? becomes even more important. Even if your tenant has parted on good terms, they may not have returned all the keys to your property. It is very possible that they may have given a copy of the key to a partner or perhaps a relative such as mum or dad who calls in regularly. The dangers of this are fairly obvious, especially if the tenant has a grievance – they will be able to enter your property at will any time after they have left.

Break-ups with a partner
Everyone knows that marriage or even short term relationship break-ups sometimes don’t go smoothly. When either partner moves out, things can quickly turn sour. This leaves you in the unenviable position of knowing that your ex-partner or anyone else who lived in your home, can come in at any time whether you are there or not! Needless to say, this situation can add pressure to an already stressful situation.

Solving the problem is simple. It’s time to take back control!

The simple and cost-effective way to ensure peace of mind is to change the cylinders in your door locks. The process is neither complicated or costly. The job doesn’t involve getting a locksmith involved – the only tool you need is a screwdriver, and you can complete the job in minutes!

Remember not all cylinders are equal!

It’s worth bearing in mind that like anything in life, you get what you pay for. The cylinder you choose to fit is one of the most important parts of your home security , so it’s always makes sense to buy the best quality. With burglars getting more determined and sophisticated, you need a cylinder that can stop the thieves in their tracks. Yale cylinders are outstanding quality and are continually evolving. Discover more about our cylinder range here (Insert link)

Yale’s products

Since 1843 Yale have been at the forefront of security solutions. We are trusted globally, providing locks of every design and function in over 125 countries. As one of the oldest international brands, Yale is among the best-known and most respected names in the lock industry, with millions of Yale locks in use worldwide. Designed to protect the things that matter most, you can trust Yale to deliver security and peace of mind.

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