SIX KEYS OF SEPARATION: OVER 105 MILLION SPARE HOUSE KEYS ON THE LOOSE ACROSS THE UK

• 98% of homeowners give a spare set of keys to someone else
• The average homeowner has 7 sets of house keys, handing out spares to others including neighbours, cleaners and co-workers
• 60% of homeowners don’t replace locks after losing house keys
• One in five homeowners admit to keeping a spare key in their garden, under a door mat or flowerpot
• Half (50%) of homeowners in the UK don’t change the locks when they move

With many Brits planning a holiday or day trip out in the UK this half-term, Admiral Home Insurance is urging homeowners to make sure their home is secure after an investigation revealed they could be putting their homes at risk from unwanted intruders.

The insurer has revealed that the average home has seven sets of housekeys, with spares given out to neighbours, cleaners and even co-workers - while one in five admit to keeping a spare key under a door mat or flowerpot outside their home.

Collectively that means there could be as many as 3 million2 keys at risk of being found in people’s gardens, making their homes an easy target for burglars while they head off on half-term trips this month.

A quarter (25%) of older homeowners (55 and over) keep keys outside, but younger homeowners (between 18-24), and potentially first-time buyers, are even more likely (62%) to keep a key under a flowerpot or doormat.

To help homeowners keep their homes and belongings safe and secure, Admiral has created a new tool for people to quickly find out if their home is at risk and if it’s time to get their locks changed.

Lost keys

One in five homeowners have lost a set of house keys they’ve never found, with those between 25 and 34 confessing to losing three sets of keys to their home.

Worryingly, 60% of homeowners have failed to replace the locks after losing their keys meaning many more keys could be in circulation that could get into the wrong hands - and potentially allow burglars to walk straight through the front door. Meanwhile, over a quarter (27%) of people confessed they wouldn’t even consider changing the locks if they lost their keys.