Keys, Lockboxes and Smart Locks for Cleaners

Before you can clean, you have to get in. And once you have access to many properties, you also hold a lot of other people's security. This page covers the main ways in and how to handle each one carefully.

Different hosts, different methods

Every host sets their own routine. Wikipedia notes that each property owner has their own "key-pick-up procedures" along with their own deposit and payment rules¹. So expect a mix across your jobs.

Physical keys

A physical key is simple. It needs no battery or app. But a key can be lost, copied or left in the wrong pocket.

If a host gives you a key, treat it as you would a client's wallet.

• Label keys with a code, not the street address.
• Keep keys in one place, and not loose in the car.
• Don't have copies cut unless the host asks you to.
• Return or hand over keys at the end of the arrangement and ask for a note that you've done so.

The NSW short-term rental code shows how seriously keys are treated. It says a guest "must not copy, or knowingly retain after the end of the occupancy period, any keys" or similar access items². That rule applies to guests in New South Wales, but it shows the principle. Access should end when the job ends.

Key safes (lockboxes)

A key safe is a small box fixed to a wall. Wikipedia describes "Very small secure enclosures known as key safes", opened by a combination³. They hold keys so they are "available only to a person knowing the combination"³. It adds that they're used "typically for holiday lets, carers, or emergency use"³.

Some points to watch:

1. Find out how many people know the combination. Everyone who knows it has access.
2. Ask the host to change it between cleaners, or when someone leaves your team.
3. Don't write the code on the job sheet next to the address. Store it in a password manager or a locked note.
4. Shield the keypad while you enter the code.
5. After you take the key, close the box fully and check it's locked. Follow the maker's instructions for your model.

If the box won't open, don't force it. Contact the host.

Smart locks

A smart lock replaces the key with a phone, a keypad or a card. Wikipedia says smart locks "allow users to grant access to a third party by means of a virtual key"⁴. The recipient's phone then works as the key "during the timeframe previously specified by the sender"⁴.

For a cleaner that is handy. A host can limit your access to a set timeframe. Wikipedia adds that smart locks "may also monitor access and send alerts"⁴. Where a lock does that, the host may have a record of when you came and went, which could help if a question comes up later.

There are downsides. Your phone becomes your key, so a flat battery or a lost phone can lock you out. Wikipedia also warns that "it can be difficult for the end user to confirm or refute the security claims" for these products⁴. That's a reason to ask the host what system they use and how access is managed, rather than assuming.

Keep a backup plan. Ask the host for a phone number to call and a second way in, such as a key safe.

Security habits for many properties

• Keep a private list of which method each property uses. Don't store codes and addresses together in one note.
• Lock your phone with a passcode.
• Use a different code for each property wherever the host allows it.
• Never post or message codes where others can read them.
• If you lose a key or a phone, tell the affected hosts at once so they can change locks or codes.
• Lock every door, including windows you opened, before you leave.

Agree access in writing

Put the access method in your agreement with each host. Include who can change codes, how long your access lasts and who to call when it fails. The scope page is a good place to record it with the rest of the job. If a lock or door looks damaged when you arrive, photograph it before you go in. For what to capture, see photo reports.

Time lost at the door

Access problems eat the window faster than anything else. If you're stuck outside, message the host straight away rather than waiting. Planning for delays is covered in working inside tight windows.