Pop-A-Lock

April 25th, 2012 by JenniferMo

As professional locksmiths in Baton Rouge, we don’t really recommend hiding a house key outside. Burglars know (and look in) all the popular locations, and there’s no point in making it easier for them to break into your house. However, if you do decide to hide a house key outside, it’s important to be smart about it.

Picking just the right spot to hide a key outside your house is a bit of an art form. It has to be accessible but not obvious, memorable enough so you’ll be able to find it months later, and out of the way enough that no one will accidentally find it. Take a look at our list of best and worst places to hide a key. It might just give you some ideas for finding the ideal spot outside your house.

Worst places to hide a key:

• Under the door mat
• Under a fake looking rock (and most of them look pretty fake)
• Under a potted plant
• In the mailbox
• Anywhere within about 10 feet of the lock the key opens

All of these are common hiding places that burglars often check. Your chances for becoming a victim of property crime in Baton Rouge is one in 17. Don’t make it easy for them!

Best places to hide a key

Buried. Find a small waterproof container like a prescription bottle, pop the key in it, and bury in a corner of your yard or in a potted plant – though not one close to the door.

Inside a rain gutter. Tape or Velcro your key to the upper wall where the water is unlikely to touch it.
Inside a combination lockbox hidden in a fence post or somewhere else inconspicuous. The lockbox doesn’t have to be completely hidden to be effective at keeping your key out of the wrong hands.

In the backyard rather than the front. Backyards offer more places to hide a key and burglars are usually more hesitant to enter, especially if you can make them think you have a dog (or if you actually have one!).
In the dog house. If you have a dog, the dog house is a great place to hide a spare key. Most burglars won’t want to chance a meeting with an unfriendly dog.

With a trusted neighbor. If you have neighbors who are often home, leaving a key with them is always going to be safer than hiding one outside. Alternately, you can agree to swap keys with a neighbor and hide a key on each other’s property.

A well-hidden key can save you a lot of time and frustration, but it does require some vigilance. If you use it, put it back right away, and make sure no one sees you. Every few months, or at least once a year, check to make sure the key is still there and has not begun to corrode. (Wrapping the key up in an oily rag can help prevent corrosion if you go several years without using it.)

Don’t forget that a key is only one way burglars get in: windows, unlocked doors, and bump keys and lock picks are alternate routes. Is your house well protected? Pop-A-Lock Baton Rouge provides home security evaluations and residential lock and key services if you’re not sure how secure your house is. And if you get locked out or can’t remember where you hid your key, we can help you out, too. Just call Pop-A-Lock at 225-767-2562.

Photo by Alan Cleaver