Safe Places to Hide Extra Keys Outside Your Home

Greenhouse

• A greenhouse full of plants, vegetables and flowers provides plenty of places to hide a house key. Bury a key in a flowerpot full of soil or stick it in the bottom of a container of shovels, spades and other tools. The multitude of hiding places makes it difficult for anyone not in the know to track down the key, providing a higher degree of security. To keep things extra safe, lock the greenhouse with a combination padlock, so the key will be hidden behind a secured door.

RocLok

• Key rocks are nothing new, but improved models provide an extra degree of security when hiding a house key. The RocLok is a handmade, faux-rock with a compartment for keys protected by a combination lock on its underside. Cheaper key rocks do not have this security feature, meaning the key is accessible to one anyone who stumbles upon the rock. Weather-resistant, RocLok come in a variety of styles and looks to match the rocks and stones in your region.

Outdoor Concealing Devices

• House keys can be hidden in plain sight with the use of everyday items altered to conceal keys from view. The thermometer key hider from the Home Security Superstore resembles a typical plastic weather thermometer, but opens to reveal a compartment large enough for two keys. The same company also makes a key concealer that resembles a sprinkler head. Simply open the device, place a key inside and push it into the ground where it looks like a regular garden sprinkler.

With Neighbors

• One place the craftiest thief will never find a hidden house key is inside the home of a trusted neighbor. Though devices to hide keys might be clever and tough to spot, you still run the risk of a robber or other undesirable person stumbling upon your secret. To play it safe, ask a neighbor to keep a copy of your house key stored in their home so that if the original is lost, a replacement is just next door.