Most regular cleaning customers do, and a key safe is usually the better arrangement than handing over a physical key. It keeps the key at the property, lets you change the code whenever you want, and means nothing can be lost in transit.
The question people are actually asking is whether it is safe. The honest answer is that it depends far more on who you have hired than on the key arrangement itself, and the checks worth doing are the same ones you should have done before booking anyone.
The options compared
| Arrangement | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Key safe at the property | Key never leaves, code changeable, works when you are away | Small cost, needs mounting, code can be shared |
| Company holds a key | Simple, no hardware | Key is off site, harder to revoke quickly |
| You are home | Total control | Slower clean, ties up your time |
| Neighbour holds a key | No cost | Fails the first time they are out |
| Smart lock with a code | Auditable, time-limited access | Cost, battery dependence, lockout risk |
A key safe is the pragmatic default for most households. A smart lock is better if you already have one, mostly because you can see when the door was opened and issue a code that only works on cleaning days.
What a reputable company should do
Ask these before handing anything over. The readiness of the answers tells you as much as the content.
How are keys stored? In a locked cabinet or safe, coded rather than labelled with your address. A key tagged "14 Elm Road" in a van door pocket is the wrong answer, and it is more common than it should be.
Who has access to the key? Ideally a named cleaner and a manager, not the whole office.
What happens if a key is lost? There should be an actual written procedure, and their public liability insurance should cover lock replacement. Ask specifically whether it does, because many policies exclude it unless key cover has been added.
Are cleaners DBS-checked? For anyone alone in your home, this is a reasonable minimum. Note that domestic cleaners are usually only eligible for a Basic DBS check, which shows unspent convictions only, so treat it as one signal rather than a complete assurance.
Are they employed or subcontracted? An employed cleaner has been vetted by the company accountable to you. A subcontractor may not have been vetted by anyone. This is the single most useful question.
Is there public liability insurance, and can I see the certificate? Commonly £1m to £5m. Check the expiry date and the excess.
Will it be the same person each time? Consistency matters for security as much as for quality. A rotating cast of people you have never met is a materially different risk profile.
Practical security
If you go ahead, some sensible measures:
- Do not label the key with your address, and do not put your address on the fob
- Mount a key safe out of obvious sight and not directly beside the front door. Choose one rated to a recognised security standard rather than the cheapest available, since the budget ones can be defeated quickly
- Change the code when a cleaner changes, when you stop the service, and periodically anyway
- Put valuables away in a drawer. Not hidden, just not on open surfaces. This is normal and no professional will be offended
- Keep your own spare somewhere accessible, so a lockout is your problem to solve rather than an emergency
- Give a separate alarm code you can revoke, rather than sharing the one everyone in the family uses
- Tell them what happens if the alarm triggers, including who the monitoring company will call
Your insurance
Check your home contents policy. Most UK policies are entirely comfortable with a cleaner holding keys, but some have conditions, particularly around key safes and around what counts as forcible entry.
The distinction that matters in most policies is between theft with forced entry and theft without. If someone lets themselves in with a key, some policies treat that differently, and a few require that key holders are named or that a key safe meets a specified standard such as a police-approved rating.
It is a five minute check and worth doing before rather than after.
Alternatives if you would rather not
Perfectly reasonable, and there are workable options.
Be home for the visits. The clean takes longer and costs more for the same result, but some people prefer it and that is a legitimate choice.
Book when you work from home. The compromise most people land on, and it works well.
Use a smart lock with a time-limited code that only works between, say, nine and one on Tuesdays.
Video doorbell. Not a substitute for vetting, but it tells you who arrived and when, which is reassuring in the early weeks.
A concierge or building manager, if you live in a managed block.
Building trust sensibly
The pattern that works for most households is incremental.
Be present for the first two or three visits. Get to know who is coming. Then move to a key safe once you are comfortable.
That approach costs you a couple of mornings and removes almost all of the anxiety. Any decent company will be entirely happy with it. A company that pushes for keys on day one, or that cannot answer the questions above clearly and immediately, is telling you something useful.
If something does go wrong
Rare, but worth knowing the process.
Report it to the company in writing immediately, with detail and any evidence.
Report theft to the police and get a crime reference number. Your insurer will require it, and so will the company's insurer.
Contact your own insurer, and check the position on theft without forced entry.
Ask the company for their insurer's details and a claim reference.
A company that becomes evasive at this point is showing you why the vetting questions mattered. A company that responds immediately, cooperates and escalates to its insurer is behaving as it should.
Frequently asked questions
Is a key safe secure? A good one, mounted sensibly and with a code you change periodically, is reasonably secure and far better than a key under a plant pot. Cheap ones are not, so buy one with a recognised security rating.
Should I give the company a key or use a key safe? A key safe, in most cases. The key stays at the property and you control access without depending on anyone returning anything.
What if my cleaner leaves the company? Change the key safe code, and ask the company to confirm in writing that any held keys have been returned or destroyed.
Do I need to tell my insurer? Check your policy wording. Many do not require notification, some have conditions about key holders, and a five minute call resolves it.
Can I ask for the same cleaner every time? Yes, and you should. Continuity is good for security and for quality.
What about during holidays? Many customers ask a cleaner to check post and water plants while away. Agree it explicitly and check your insurance, since an unoccupied property has different conditions in most policies.
