5 solutions for providing property access to cleaners

How do I leave keys for a cleaner? With many of us now back in the office, letting in a cleaner or contractor isn't as easy as it was when working from home was the norm.

But if coming home to freshly mopped floors is what you're after, then you'll need to find a way to provide property access.

We’ve listed the five most popular solutions for handing over keys to trusted cleaners and contractors below, so you can decide which one works best for you.

1. Leave a spare key with a neighbour

If you've got a good relationship with the person next door, then you've probably already given them a spare key to use in emergencies. So asking your cleaner to pick up the key from then, and then just put it back through the letterbox when finished, could be quite a good solution.

But clearly, you've got to bank on the fact that your neighbour will always be in at the exact time your cleaner is coming. Not a completely reliable solution, asking this kind of favour is probably best reserved for the odd last-minute emergency.

2. Find a good hiding place

The age-old solution for property access, we've all hidden a key under a doormat or buried it in a plant pot before. But although this solution is free of cost, it certainly isn't free of risk ...

Opportunistic burglars will always check these classic hiding places for keys, and if your cleaner comes in the morning, then you're leaving your home at risk for the whole afternoon.

3. Get them a key cut

If you've got a long-standing relationship with a particular cleaner, then giving them their own key might be a good idea. If they are running behind schedule or need to change the day last-minute, your cleaner won't have to work around whether a neighbour is available to provide property access, or if you remembered to leave the key under the mat before you left for work.

But chances are your cleaner doesn't just work in one home, and therefore there's a chance that their keys are labelled with addresses. And if a key is lost with your exact address on it, it's obviously a massive security risk.

4. Install a lockbox

Lockboxes are a popular choice for those who need to frequently provide property access - such as Airbnb hosts and people with carers. Buying a lockbox is normally a one-off payment of around £25, and the cleaner would be able to retrieve the key from it by entering the correct code.

However, lockboxes are typically installed near the front door, which makes them an easy target for criminals. Especially because in order for a lockbox to be police-approved, it only needs to be able to delay a break-in by 60 seconds! So it's really not a secure storage solution at all.

5. Use a key exchange service

The ultimate secure yet simple storage solution, key exchange services like KeyNest make it easy for you to provide property access to cleaners, contractors, and friends.

Rather than getting a new key cut every time someone else needs access, simply store one spare key in your local KeyNest Point. This way, whenever someone needs access, you'll just have to generate a new collection code for them, so they can go to the point and pick the key up.

You can make codes valid for specific time periods - so there's no need to worry about your cleaner being able to pick up the key at any time - and you'll receive notifications whenever your key is collected or dropped off.

If you live in an urban area, then your nearest KeyNest Point is most likely a short walk away. But you can click here to find out.

Can't find one that works for you? No worries! Just fill out our request form to let us know that you’d like a KeyNest Point in your area, and we'll get right on it.