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Think twice before indiscriminately granting access to everything you own.
Don't feel pressured by overzealous tradesmen, caregivers, housekeepers or do-good neighbours to hand out your key.
It should be a privilege for someone to receive your key, an honor achieved by lasting years of honesty and integrity.
All too often people, have been guilty of impulsively handing their key over to an acquaintance or flash friend who regards it as nothing more than a piece of junk for the top of their fridge or kitchen counter.
This presents a dangerous situation, especially if an unscrupulous friend of the "key keeper" has dark desires to get into your home.
Yes, you may eventually get your key back, but who's to say that some devious thief hasn't made a duplicate in the meanwhile? Perhaps you loaned your key to a neighbor who looked after your home while you were on vacation.
The wait for the key's return has turned from weeks into months.
Where is it? Who has it? Because questioning your neighbor's honesty is not an appealing option, you don't say anything.
There's a lot you can do to prevent these types of situations, the first being don't give a key out to anyone unless he or she has earned the right to have one.
If you have indiscriminately given out your key, take control of your home again by re-keying the locks.
Re-keying is a simple, inexpensive procedure that usually takes about half an hour for the average home.
This process is not to be confused with replacing the locks; you don't have to replace the locks to change the key.
If you feel you may have to bestow a key on someone on a short-term basis, it's a good idea to install high-security cylinders in your existing locks.
This would assure that nobody could duplicate your key.
Upon purchasing a high-security locking system you will be issued an owner's key-order card, which you must sign immediately.
Keep your key-order card in a safe place.
When you present a signed card to order extra high-security keys, your locksmith will validate the signature on the card.
Insurance companies are frowning on key negligence more than ever because of a growing number of key violation claims.
Don't get caught innocently handing your keys over to any Tom, Dick or Harry.
Relying heavily on the trust factor is a gamble that could end with devastating results.
Lending House Key a Dangerous Practice by Frank Fourchalk Wednesday, September 7, 2005
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