The highest potential risk in any rental community is the misuse of property keys. For this reason, you need to train your property staff on best practices for key control. You can then be sure that your residents and property are safe. A bigger property means more units and more workers to manage. That means you have more keys to track. The potential risk increases with every key made. Anyone who accesses the keys without permission can come into your property and violate or steal at will. Having the right management and control of your keys can prevent that from happening. Here are some key control practices you can use.
Generate Only a Few Keys Per Unit
Every extra key made increases the potential for something risky. Thus, you should have as few keys as possible in circulation. Ensure that every tenant has only one key to the area. Apart from that, you should not generate any other keys unless necessary. That way, you have an easier time tracking the keys in circulation.
Find A Central Access Location for Storage
You can store your keys more securely with a centralised system. Your workers will also know where they can get the keys at all times. That way, you can watch each key that goes in and out. Some complexes are too big to have one access for all the keys. If that is the case, you might need to set up various access points. Regardless of the number of access points, ensure you have a system to track key activity.
Create A Multi-Step Access System
Getting a key should not be an easy process. A secure system needs to have various steps before one can get a key. For instance, the worker may need to scan their badges, put a PIN code and give a reason before the box opens. Creating a multi-step system may seem tiring in the beginning. Once your workers get training, however, they will learn to get to the keys quickly.
Set Up A Trail of Audit
There should be a record of every time a key is checked in and out. It should be easy for you to know when a key is checked out. You also need to know the time and purpose of the key checkout. Having detailed documentation will help identify any discrepancies. Your employees will also be accountable for the keys.
Practising key control will prove to be beneficial. Once you have established the practices for key control, you will need to train your workers. Ensure they understand why key control is essential. They will then be in a position to practice consistency. It is also beneficial to have a computerised system to help you integrate the key management steps.