Quick answer: Avoid the obvious spots: under the doormat, in plant pots, above the door frame, or in a fake rock. Anyone can find these in seconds. Instead, leave a spare with a trusted neighbour or family member nearby, or fit a proper key safe rated to police standards and bolted securely to a wall.
I get called out to a fair few homes across Southampton and the Waterside where someone has locked themselves out, and more often than not the first thing they say is “I’ve got a spare hidden outside somewhere, but I can’t remember where.” When we do find it, it’s usually in one of a handful of very predictable spots. And that got me thinking. If I can walk up to a house and find a spare key in under a minute, so can someone with far worse intentions.
I’ve been doing this job for nearly 20 years now, and in that time I’ve seen every hiding place going. So I wanted to write down the ones that really don’t work, why burglars already know about them, and what I’d suggest doing instead. None of this is meant to scare you. It’s just honest advice from someone who has seen how easily these things go wrong.
The classic hiding spots that fool nobody
Let’s start with the famous ones. Under the doormat. That’s the first place anyone looks, and I mean anyone. It’s so well known that it’s practically a joke now, yet people still do it. If your spare is under the mat, you may as well leave the door on the latch.
Then there’s the plant pot trick. Popping a key under a pot by the front door, or worse, into the soil itself. Burglars know this one inside out. A quick tilt of each pot along the path and they’ve found it. The fake plastic rock or the hollow ornament that’s meant to blend in with your garden? They stand out a mile because they don’t quite match everything around them, and thieves have seen them plenty of times before.
The loose brick in the wall is another old favourite. The problem is a brick that lifts out looks different from the ones cemented in place. Someone casing your house will spot it. Same goes for keys tucked on top of the door frame, under the wheelie bin, in the electric meter box, or hanging on a bit of string through the letterbox. That last one is genuinely common and it lets a burglar fish the key out or simply reach in and unlock the door.
The trouble with all of these is that they’re not secrets. They’re patterns, and anyone who breaks into homes for a living has learned every single pattern. You’re not being clever by using them. You’re being predictable.
Why do burglars find these spots so easily?
People assume a burglar bursts in through a smashed window in the dead of night. In reality a good number of break-ins happen because someone walked in through an unlocked door or found a key with barely any effort. It’s the path of least resistance. Why force entry and make noise when there’s likely a spare key within a few feet of the door?
Most burglars will spend a moment or two checking the obvious places before they do anything else. It’s low risk for them. Lifting a doormat or tipping a plant pot looks like nothing to a passer by. And if your house insurance finds out entry was made using a key you left outside, you could have a real problem with any claim. Insurers take a dim view of what they might call a lack of reasonable care.
The other issue is that once a key is hidden outside, you’ve no control over it. A key under a rock could be copied and put back and you’d never know. At least with a lost key you know it’s gone.
What should you do instead?
The honest answer is to stop hiding keys outdoors altogether. If you need reliable access for yourself, a family member, a carer, or a cleaner, the safest option by a good distance is a proper key safe fitted to the wall.
A key safe is a small metal box, secured to brickwork, that opens with a code you choose. The key sits locked inside rather than under a pot for anyone to grab. The good ones are police approved and rated to resist attack, so they’re a world away from a hollow ornament. If you’re thinking about it, I’m happy to talk you through having a key safe fitted properly so it’s in a sensible spot and bolted in the way it should be. Fitting matters just as much as the safe itself, because a cheap unit screwed on badly isn’t worth much.
I’d also suggest a few simple habits. Give a spare to a trusted neighbour or family member nearby rather than leaving it outside. Change your key safe code now and then, especially if a tradesperson has had it. And if you’ve recently moved in, get the locks changed, because you’ve no idea how many spares the last owners handed out over the years.
If you’re ever locked out, don’t panic and don’t force anything. Give me a call. There’s no call-out fee and I’m available 24 hours across Southampton and the Waterside. I’d far rather get you back in safely than have you resort to a hidden key that puts your home at risk.
Will a key safe affect your home insurance?
Here’s something a lot of people never think about, and I only learned it properly over my nearly 20 years on the job. A key safe can affect your home insurance, so it pays to check before you fit one. Most insurers require evidence of forced entry to accept a burglary claim, and if a thief gets into a poorly made key safe, some may refuse to pay out. That’s why I only ever recommend a police-approved model carrying the Secured by Design mark, bolted firmly to solid brickwork. Just as important, tell your insurer you’ve got one, because leaving them in the dark could invalidate your policy. A quick call now saves a nasty shock later.
Could a key safe affect your home insurance?
Here’s something most folk never think about, and I’ve had customers caught out by it over my nearly 20 years on the tools. A key safe can affect your home insurance, so it’s worth a quick call to your insurer before fitting one. Most home insurers require evidence of forced entry to accept a burglary claim, and some will only cover you if you use an approved type of key safe, like ‘Police Preferred’ models certified by ‘Secured by Design’. If a key safe is not compliant with your insurer’s requirements or it’s used improperly, like leaving it unlocked or the code widely known, your insurer might reject your claim. Fit a police-rated one, bolt it into brick, keep the code to yourself, and let your insurer know.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the worst place to hide a spare key?
Under the doormat is the worst by far, closely followed by plant pots, fake rocks, loose bricks, on top of the door frame, and under the wheelie bin. These are all predictable patterns that burglars check first. In nearly 20 years I’ve found spares in every one within seconds.
Could hiding a key outside affect my insurance?
It certainly can. If an insurer discovers entry was made using a key you left outside, they may view it as a lack of reasonable care and question your claim. Once a key is hidden outdoors you’ve no control over it either, as it could be copied and quietly put back without you knowing.
What is a safer alternative to hiding a spare key?
A proper key safe fitted to your brickwork is the safest option by a good distance. It’s a small metal box that opens with a code you choose, keeping the key locked away rather than under a pot. Choose a police approved model and have it bolted in properly, because fitting matters as much as the safe.
What should I do if I get locked out?
Don’t panic and don’t try to force anything, as you could cause damage or hurt yourself. Just give me a call. There’s no call-out fee and I’m available 24 hours across Southampton and the Waterside. I’d far rather get you back inside safely than have you rely on a risky hidden key.
