A key safe is a small, wall-mounted combination box that holds a door key securely on the outside of your property, so anyone you trust with the code — a carer, a family member, a cleaner or a tradesperson — can let themselves in without a key ever being hidden under a mat or a plant pot. Done properly it is one of the simplest, most useful bits of home security we fit, and it is especially valuable for older or less mobile residents, live-in carers on rota, holiday lets and second homes. Done badly — a cheap box screwed into soft render, or a non-approved unit that levers off in seconds — it becomes the weakest point on the whole property. Your local LocksmithLocal locksmith fits the right unit, in the right place, the right way.
Why the unit — and the fixing — both matter
The security of a key safe comes from two things: the box itself and how it is anchored. Most of the cheap boxes sold online for under £20 have been opened by police in seconds with basic hand tools, so the box has to be one that has actually been attack-tested. The recognised UK standard is LPS1175 Issue 8, tested independently by the Loss Prevention Certification Board, which rates resistance on a scale from A1 up to A10; a unit at A5 or above earns the police Secured by Design “Police Preferred Specification”, the official police-backed home-security mark. An A5 unit is rated to resist a sustained power-tool attack for a defined period — in practice, about as attack-resistant as a domestic front door. The genuinely approved units are a short list: the Supra C500 Pro and P500 Pro, the Burton Keyguard XL, the Defender Pro-TEC, and the ark Tamo (the only key safe certified to the top A10 rating). We fit approved units, not the box that happens to be cheapest.
Fitted into solid masonry, not render
Even the best key safe is only as strong as what it is bolted to. A Police Preferred unit fixed into soft render, mortar joints or lightweight block gives away most of its protection — and with some units it voids the accreditation entirely. We fix into solid brick or dense concrete using the manufacturer’s own bolts, position the safe where it is convenient for those who need it but not on open display to the street, and set and test the code with you before we leave. Where a wall is rendered or awkward, we will tell you honestly and either find a sound fixing point or recommend a unit that is certified for rendered walls, rather than bodge it.
Who key safes are for
- Care and support — carers, home helps and telecare responders can reach an older or less mobile resident without a key being left out or a door left on the latch.
- Family and neighbours — a trusted spare-key arrangement that does not involve hiding a key outside.
- Holiday lets and second homes — guests, cleaners and changeover teams get in on a code you can change between lets.
- Tradespeople and deliveries — controlled, temporary access when you cannot be there in person.
Insurance — the honest position
A key safe does not, on its own, invalidate home insurance — several major insurers publish guidance confirming that a Secured by Design-certified key safe is acceptable, and some expect that standard specifically. What can cause a problem is a non-approved box, or an approved unit fitted badly. We are not your insurer, so always check your own policy wording, but fitting a police-preferred unit correctly into solid brick puts you on the right side of the line. If key-safe cover matters to you, tell us and we will fit accordingly and give you an itemised invoice for your records.
A quick, tidy job done right
Most key safe installations are a single, affordable visit — we supply and fit an approved unit, or fit one you have already bought if it is a recognised model, set the code, and check it opens cleanly and holds firm. No call-out fee, a fixed price agreed before we start, and a real named local locksmith rather than an anonymous fitter. If you have an old or insecure key safe already on the wall, we can remove it and replace it with a properly rated one at the same visit.
