Would you be okay with certain people who knows where you hide a spare emergency door key such as a housekeeper, your child's bestfriend or boyfriend/girlfriend, house sitter, etc, letting themselves into your house without your knowledge beforehand? So for example the house keeper left an item at your house when she cleaned and realized it a couple of days later and just went in on their own to get it. Or a bestfriend of your kid left earbuds in your house and they just use the spare key to let themselves in to get them without asking you first. I say no but some others here at work don't see an issue with it if you trust them enough for them to know where your key is. What say you?
So I have a question for you guys and gals as me and some co-workers have a differing opinion.
- Thread starter Ryan Lemonds Hair
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Only poor people still rely on the hidden spare key. It's now the key pad on the garage door.
As far as who gets it, I have an alternate code I give to the help. If I change service, I change the code.
As far as who gets it, I have an alternate code I give to the help. If I change service, I change the code.
Thanks for pointing out I am poor but you didn't answer the question of are you okay with people going in unexpected or unannounced?
No. I need to know when people are coming by. If they show up unannounced, they knock. Fortunately, everyone I know has a cell phone and the decency to text/call before showing up unannounced.
No
I have the dumb key pads on my entry doors, but it's a slight pain to add/remove alt codes.
The newer ones are wifi and you can change the code or just unlock it on a whim.
We have the keypad on the front door lock that has codes for different individuals and I get a notification on my phone when a code is used so I know who it is that has entered. Ultimately, I don't think this situation you are in is a big deal. If I trusted someone enough to give her a key/code, then I trust her enough to come back if she forgot something. A heads up would be nice but I don't think not getting one is anything to worry about. Now if it became something that happened frequently, that is a different story. That would bother me some.
when you get to my front door, you have been on three different cameras.
answer is still a hard no, and stop giving access to your homes to everyone!
answer is still a hard no, and stop giving access to your homes to everyone!
We don't have a maid/service, but how would you let them in?
We still have teenagers and have our kids' friend's dog sit/house sit. It's a pretty easy solution.
We are generally home, but a lot of my kids' friend's parents aren't. Several of my kids' friend's don't answer the door. They just give out the code to their friends that visit.
Man, there are many houses guarded with 1,1,1,1
I guess that reveals who has a system and who doesn't. I never thought of that.
I would be but they would be greeted by two 100 pound plus dogs. The lab would lick them to death. The Pyrenees mix would need to know them.
I have cameras so I would see anyone coming or going and unless my kids forget to set the alarm it would go off because they might know where the key is hid but not my security codes. I just felt it was invading private space when you weren't asked or you didn't ask first and some of my co workers didn't feel the same. I wondered if I was in the minority.
if you walk up and try to unlock the door, you are most likely getting shot. i have worked from home for 18+ years, and i carry everywhere, especially at home. door is dead-bolted 24/7 and i have a non-wifi digital electronic lock with manual key too.
the 24/7 deadbolt is because one of my sons friends parents, a deputy sheriff, thought it was cool to show up and not knock, but simply walked in the front door. i did not know these people, henceforth why i now carry at home.
previous home we experienced a break-in at 2:45AM with everyone home, dogs too. maybe i am too careful or maybe not...
No, and I prefer to be my own home security officer. Cameras and systems are for the lazy.
I keep my spare key in the food dish of my neighbors bird Fredo. Only failed me once
Our cleaning lady has our garage code, but it's only for her approved day and time. You come a different day, that's how people get shot.
Anyone coming into my house without permission gets to meet my dogs. They’re…uh…seriously terrifying if not properly introduced. Plus, I work from home and may or may not own certain implements that an intruder wouldn’t enjoy.
Even with a key, please let me know first.
You should be jailed for being mean.
I would not be good with your security laxity Creed. My garage has a coded key pad. I give the code to my housekeeper. I can also set up a one time code to let someone else into the garage/house. Those codes can be changed at any time. I do not give keys to non-family.
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I'm not saying you make them a copy but more of a situation of if your kid arrives home without a key and uses the spare when their best friend is with them they see where it's hid or if the Housesitter knows where it is. I'm not as high tech as you guys with wifi locking doors.
When a person hides their key somewhere around their door, do they imagine nobody sees them hide it or get it when they need it? They make locks for just a couple bucks now that you can program multiple combinations in. You can't put a new doorknob on?
My kids have a key to our house and we have theirs. Works well for both of us. My father-in-law also has our house key, but he doesn't really use it since he lives in another state.
That's all we need and it's nobody else's business.
I used to travel overseas for extended periods for work. When I sometimes took my wife and daughter we'd give a friend our house key. Don't need to do that anymore.
That's all we need and it's nobody else's business.
I used to travel overseas for extended periods for work. When I sometimes took my wife and daughter we'd give a friend our house key. Don't need to do that anymore.
I have a high school friend from Louisville who now lives in a semi-rural part of the state near the Kentucky Speedway. He has lived in that area for decades as him and his wife are retired HS teachers. Ran into him about 5 years ago at a wedding after having not seen him since 1975. He invited my wife and I to visit for a day and we did.
After awhile, he asked if I wanted to take a ride and meet some of his friends. We went to 3 different houses and no one was home at any of them. We walked in the back door or basement door of each house watched some bball and drank a beer before moving onto the next house. He told me no one locks their doors and they depend on the neighbors to watch for strangers. A real eye opener to me. My parents started locking their doors in Louisville about 1980.
After awhile, he asked if I wanted to take a ride and meet some of his friends. We went to 3 different houses and no one was home at any of them. We walked in the back door or basement door of each house watched some bball and drank a beer before moving onto the next house. He told me no one locks their doors and they depend on the neighbors to watch for strangers. A real eye opener to me. My parents started locking their doors in Louisville about 1980.
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At very least they should have texted you ahead of time and asked
Nobody has a key to our house except a few family members and that is only in the event we both perish and they need to get into the house. Our neighbor has the code to the garage door keypad but they only have access to the garage in case we are gone and they need to borrow a tool. We do not hire a maid or anyone else because we simply do not trust anyone in our house while we are gone or even if we are home. Anytime a contractor comes over I have to be home and watch them like a hawk.
That all said, you call or text before you go into anyone’s home unless they are gone and have given you permission to enter.
That all said, you call or text before you go into anyone’s home unless they are gone and have given you permission to enter.
I feel like a house keeper is OK, because that's a worker. They need some sort of access to the house depending on how often they go there. Now if they need something, I'd prefer they at least give me a heads up. And maybe you use some sort of smart lock system for them.
As for a neighbor or a kids friend, absolutely not. The only other people that should *MAYBE* have a key would be my parents.. and even that is more for emergencies and assistance, not an invitation to come on by at any time.
As for a neighbor or a kids friend, absolutely not. The only other people that should *MAYBE* have a key would be my parents.. and even that is more for emergencies and assistance, not an invitation to come on by at any time.