Losing your keys is never a nice experience, especially when you don’t have a spare handy. It also comes with a lot of inconveniences including time spent trying to find the keys, getting a locksmith to change the locks, and changing your day’s plans or routines. But even more inconvenient and more concerning is the potential security risk it exposes your home, family, and belongings to if you fail to find the keys. Therefore you need to act fast and take some security measures.
Besides ensuring that you have done a thorough search for the keys and concluded that they are lost, consider these security measures to keep your home or office safe.
Call the Police
Call the police to report missing keys. Sometimes keys found on streets or in public parks are given to police and kept in a central location. Reporting to the police is a vital security measure to take especially if your purse or wallet was stolen along with your keys, you also become at risk for identity theft.
Call a Locksmith & Change the Locks
Whilst you think you have just dropped your key, it could have, in fact, been stolen or you maybe you did drop it, but in close proximity to your front door. All these options make it likely that someone could take advantage and break in, so you’re definitely better off investing in a new lock and key.
Cut a new key or change your locks: Decide whether to cut a new key or change your locks. In many cases, simply cutting a new key for the existing lock is a good choice, and it’s usually the less expensive option. However, if you’re concerned about someone using your lost keys, changing locks is recommended.
Upgrading your home security
If you have got to have new locks installed on your property due to lost keys, you may want to take the opportunity to upgrade your home security at the same time. You can also upgrade your key security by choosing higher-quality locks that have useful theft-deterrent features such as anti-snap. In addition to higher quality locks, consider installing smart locks. Smart locks use keyless entry using keypads and codes rather than physical keys. The benefits of smart locks include:
Control of your locks from anywhere. If you lose your keys, you can lock your house right from your smartphone via an app.
Assign codes to each family member. Rather than make copies and spare keys for each member of your family, you can simply assign them a specific PIN. Some smart lock makers allow you to make up to 30 different codes, and this will also show you who is coming and going from your home based on the code used.
Change codes as often as needed. With physical keys, you’d want to change your locks even if one person in your family loses their keys, just to be on the safe side. But this can be both expensive and time-consuming. You can also disable codes and assign new ones right from your smartphone.