Why you should consider investing in a key safe

While there are many contactless systems available to use to gain access to a commercial workplace, for a domestic property we largely still use a traditional key. Indeed, physical keys are also still used in some workplaces because they remain a reliable and effective means of securing a property. However, physical keys do have their limitations, and this is based on the fundamental fact that they are a physical item, ie. they can be lost, stolen or forgotten, and in some cases they can become worn and therefore no longer work.

However, this physical element makes the traditional key much different to, say, a key fob, a card or certainly a smartphone, which can be used to access some commercial buildings. It means that a person has to remember to carry the key with them, and it also means that you may need to have multiple keys in circulation so that everyone who needs access to a property, has access. In a large family this can mean having five or six keys in circulation at any one time, which can pose a security risk. If you choose to limit how many identical keys you have, this also poses the problem of ensuring everyone has a key who needs one, with people coming in and out of a property all the time, this can be difficult to track and manage and can cause an issue. But one solution to this is the key safe.

What is a key safe?

Not surprisingly, a key safe is a safe for a key. It is a small, secure box that is big enough to store a regular key, or multiple keys if needed, and which can only be accessed by inputting a unique four digit code. This can be inputted via number dials, or by typing in a code in a keypad, and we also have some models which use smart technology to access the safe. However, you can safely mount a key safe on an outside wall – although most people ensure this is located out of sight of the street, so as not to attract attention to it – where it can be found by anyone who needs the key, and accessed by anyone with knowledge of the unique PIN code.

The benefits of a key safe

There are a number of scenarios in which a key safe would be useful in terms of maintaining 24/7 access to, and security of, a home or commercial business. Fundamentally, you are ensuring that there is always a key available should someone need it. So this can be useful for:

• Someone has gone out and forgotten their key.
• Someone has gone out without a key, expecting someone to be in, but this person has had to go out unexpectedly and hence can leave a spare key in the key safe.
• Trusted friends or family are visiting and you are out and/or delayed.
• A trusted contractor is doing some work in the home and you are at work.
• Someone has lost their key while out.
• In a commercial property, a spare key left in a key safe means the building is accessible 24/7 as needed, but you don’t need to have multiple keys in circulation, which could become lost, stolen or copied and hence present a security risk.

It is important to note that a key safe is secure and well built in terms of its construction. So although it is located externally to a building, it is safe and secure and cannot be tampered with. People do tend to locate a key safe in a position where it is not exposed to too much extreme weather, so it is shielded from extremes which could deteriorate its condition. Also, the unique code for the key safe can be changed, so if there is a suspicion that security has been compromised by the code being shared, a new code can be set up easily enough. Although, an investigation does need to be undertaken to establish the source of this leak, and a system implemented to prevent the same thing happening again.

So in a busy home or a busy workplace, a key safe is an effective solution to ensure a property is always accessible for those who need it, but that security is maintained at all times.

Browse our range of key safes online today

At MB Direct we have a number of different types of key safe, which differ mainly in the method used to access the safe. The number dial is the most popular system, while keypads are a more modern version of this, with smart and Bluetooth systems also becoming increasingly popular too. So check out our range of key safes online and order the right system for you today.