Thousands of homeowners have lost track of their keys
Half a million householders lose track of keys
Monday, 04 Aug 2008 15:03
Over half a million British householders admit to having lost track of who has their spare keys – potentially invalidating their home insurance.
Research from Sainsbury's Home Insurance has found almost 700,000 homeowners admit they have not collected spare sets of keys from ex-neighbours or tradesmen.
Overall, the study estimates that there could be over 100 million sets of spare keys for British homes in circulation.
Neil Laird, Sainsbury's home insurance manager, said: "Although it's sensible and often necessary to leave a spare set of keys with a trusted person to gain access to your property, it's concerning to see just how many homeowners have completely lost track of who could have access to their home.
"If you don't take reasonable care of your property, including keys, you could potentially invalidate your insurance. If you have any concerns as to the whereabouts of a set of household keys, then the safest measure is always to have your locks changed."
Sainsbury's said its home insurance offers a key recovery service that provides a key ring advertising a £10 reward if found and handed in.