Lets Guide

There was a time when hosts and agents had to think about the logistics around getting the keys to the guest to access their accommodation. Whether this was instructing the guest to pick them up for a designated place by a certain time, a housekeeper poised to take a call to meet the guests at the property or simply, finding the key under a flower pot. Since the pandemic and rise of the Airbnb concept, the industry has experienced a big shift towards providing guests with the location and key code to access a key safe at their holiday home.

This now offers a safe and convenient way for all parties to complete the task of passing the keys to the guest.

Whilst this is a simple concept to provide a key safe, in our experience this can have a few pitfalls if the placement, upkeep and guest arrival instructions are not thoughtfully considered.

Here are a few pointers to consider to update your key safe arrangements, which you and your guests will thank you for. Thus, setting your guests up for an easy and painless start to their relaxing stay.

Location, Location, Location

We highly recommend installing the key safe near to the front door.

Whilst this has been a sticking point with some of the owners I speak with. This is the most logical and easiest place for your guests to find the key safe on their arrival. Remember, they may have seen all the photography of the interior and a few of the garden, your guests have been travelling to reach their destination and may not feel comfortable snooping around the side of a house, behind a gate to find the key safe. Especially at night.

Lighting, shine a light

Position an exterior light near the entrance to allow your guests to find the key safe and see the numbers with ease.

Many check ins are offered from 3pm onwards and with the growing demand for short breaks. Some guests may travel after work or at night when the kids are most sleepy and settled. Therefore, at certain times of the year they will be arriving in the dark. The last thing they will want to do, is turn their torch on their phone, whilst trying to read you arrival information email to check the key safe code.  

Height of box, get it just right

Placing the lock box at around the mid-point to the front door will ensure that most guests will be able to easily reach and see the numbers on the key safe to input them correctly.

Key Rings, Novelty is cute but make sure they fit back in the key safe

Key rings are needed to keep the keys together and help the guest from identifying the holiday home keys.

Working mainly in coastal destinations, I have seen many novelty keyrings on property keys from steel lobsters and too many fish shapes to count. Whilst these may seem cute. The key safe is compact in design. Whilst trying to push the keys and a big keyring back into the key safe, I have found myself imagining that I’m in a challenge for Crystal Maze trying to fit the keys back in just the right position for the key safe to close and lock. For ease, choose a small key ring.

Multiple Keys. The Keys to the castle.

When your holiday home has several doors.

Help your guests distinguish the keys for them to come and go from the holiday home without trying every key on the loop. By adding a coloured cap on the top of the key, will help guests enter through the door quickly with the right key. Especially when it rains.

The Elements, think rain, sea air and sea salt

Key safes become stiff when they are left out in the elements.

Save yourself the hassle and check your key safe often. Consider lubricating the key safe with silicone spray to keep the dials of the numbers moving and ensure the cap still releases. This will reduce the chances of the key safe becoming jammed and limit call outs because the guest cant access the keys

Security, update your key code

Change your codes periodically BUT remember to do your admin.

Its best to change a key code out of season to allow yourself a little rest bite to update any incoming guests and your guest arrival instructions. Forgetting this, will only upset your guests who are eager to get in and start their staycation.

So there we have it, a run through of what to consider with your key safe, lock this away and remember this when you next open up your key safe to your holiday home.