Should you have a key-holding service?

Welcome to another post on our blog here at Meridional. Have you ever worried that something might happen at your holiday home – whether it’s in another town or abroad – whilst you’re away? There’s a solution to these problems: key holding.

There are companies – usually security firms – that provide this service to both other businesses and private individuals. As the name suggests, this service involves the company keeping a spare set of keys to your property in case of any problems.

You don’t need to worry about handing your keys over to these sort of companies; they are usually trustworthy and have a good reputation. Even so, it’s very important that you read the contract you’re going to sign so that you know what they can and cannot do with the keys to your property.

But why should I sign up for this service?

The main reason for taking out a key-holding service would be peace of mind, as this service is usually provided as an extra when you sign up for an alarm system. For this reason, it is advisable to take out both services together, as this will give the security company greater scope to act in the event of any unforeseen circumstances.

In addition, one of the services you can combine with this key-holding service – and which is often very useful – is the “Acuda” service. Thanks to this service, a security guard can be dispatched to your property should the alarm go off or in the event of any other unforeseen incident. This is extremely useful when you are not near the property in question.

In what situations might a key safe and alarm be useful to me?

This service can be very useful if your second home or holiday home is located some distance away – whether in another province, region or country – or if it is usually unoccupied for a prolonged period.

This key safe, together with the security system and the Acuda service, can be useful in the following situations:

• If the alarm at your home goes off, a security guard may, subject to authorisation, check on the condition of your home. If the property has been burgled, they may call the police to collect evidence and file a report. All of this can be carried out even if you are not present.
  
• It ensures that only people you authorise (cleaning staff, repair workers, etc.) can gain access to and leave your home, under the constant supervision of a security guard and CCTV cameras.
  
• If your home is the target of an attempted squatting incident, these services facilitate and speed up the police response. As you have CCTV footage and the keys, it can be proven that a break-in has taken place even if you are not near your property.
  
• In the event of a fault in your home – for example, a water leak – you can authorise the security company to gain access, thereby preventing further problems for your neighbours.
  
• If there is a risk of fire at your home or if a fire breaks out there, the company holding the keys could help the fire brigade gain access.
  
• Furthermore, another problem you might face is forgetting your keys at home or losing them. Before calling a locksmith, if you have a contract for this service, a simple phone call could sort out the problem. This is the main issue reported by companies offering this service.
  

How do I sign up for the alarm and key-holding service?

If you’re convinced of the benefits of having a key-holding service combined with a security system to protect your property, you need to follow these steps:

• Home security assessment: Firstly, a security specialist will ask you a series of questions over the phone about the features of your home and your requirements or preferences. If deemed necessary, the specialist will carry out an on-site assessment to identify the specific characteristics of your home and any vulnerabilities that need addressing.

• Alarm quote: Once the assessment has been carried out, all that remains is to decide which devices and services you require in order to draw up the quote. This is where you should request the key-holding service and the emergency response service to ensure greater cover and peace of mind. At this stage, they will calculate the final price, broken down according to the devices and services you have selected.
  
• Contract to be signed: Once you have the quote in hand, it is time to decide whether or not to sign with the security company. Don’t forget to read the contract carefully – particularly the section on key holding – and ask any questions you feel are necessary.
  
• Installation of the security system: Finally, an authorised installer will fit the entire security system for you. This is usually carried out in the same week that you sign up for the service.
  

Conclusions

As you can see, we recommend that the key-holding service be taken out in conjunction with an alarm system. We believe that these two services complement each other very well in situations such as those outlined above, particularly when it comes to theft, break-ins, etc. All of this gives you complete control over your property, with the peace of mind that this brings, no matter how far away you are from it.

To conclude this article, we recommend that you engage the services of specialist, reputable companies. It is also important to check whether they offer a key-holding service, as not all of them do.  

We hope this article has helped you decide whether or not you need this type of service; here at Meridional, we want your property to be as secure as possible. Also, if you’d like to protect your home even further, here’s a post on home insurance that you might find useful.