“A 34-year-old man subletting his condo on the 4400 block of Lake Harriet Parkway [Minneapolis, USA] left a key for the new tenants under the apartment’s front door mat, but his ex-wife found the key, entered the condo […] and removed items,” according to a news featured on southwestminneapolis.patch.com.

A man accused of robbing the homes of Hollywood celebrities said his gang accessed Paris Hilton’s home using the spare key she left under her door mat, US ABC News reported in 2010.

For my summer holiday, I chose a guest house in the Austrian Alps. Arriving late at the destination, the lady owner left the keys under the door mat. Luckily, nobody robbed the guest house but this is a risk people take when they let their keys under the front door mat.

Managing holiday lets can be challenging, especially when it comes to getting keys to holiday rental guests. One of the most trusted methods is to use a lockable key safe to store keys. These are usually mounted on an exterior wall near to the door. Key safes can also be useful when guests arrive late in the evening or early.

However, the tradition of leaving a house key ‘under the mat’ has virtually disappeared in modern-day Britain, research has revealed.

Security fears and a general untrustworthy nature have prompted most householders to abandon the once common practice of hiding a spare key under a door mat. Figures from internet search engine Ask Jeeves found just one per cent of people continue the tradition of hiding a spare key under a door mat for relatives, cleaners and other people who might need access to their home while they are out.

The outdoor key safes are efficient for the property maintenance. It is useful where various tradesmen enter properties to undertake necessary repairs and inspections.

Share This Article

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *