London, UK – In the world of housing associations and local authorities, managing a large number of properties can be a challenging task. One issue that often goes unnoticed until it causes a problem is physical key access. Missed contractor visits, lost keys, and the high costs of locksmith callouts are just some of the consequences that can arise from this problem.
One of the UK’s leading social housing providers, Peabody, recently sought out a solution to provide access to void properties while also reducing the high costs associated with contractor callouts. After researching various options, they turned to KeyNest, a well-established key management company with a wide network of partner stores.
The Challenge
Void properties pose the greatest challenge when it comes to key access. With no staff on-site to coordinate, contractors, surveyors, and viewing agents all need access at various stages of the property inspection, works, and disposal processes. Lockboxes offer limited security and no audit trail, while manual handovers require significant staff time and can stall when a key goes missing.
Peabody, responsible for managing over 100,000 homes across London and the Home Counties, faced these challenges as their disposal program expanded.
“Before KeyNest, we were having issues with keys not being tracked properly, especially when a property was void for an extended period. There was very little visibility, and we would only find out we didn’t have the keys when someone was visiting either for a job or a viewing. This slowed everything else down as we then had to urgently contact a locksmith.” – Project Coordinator, Asset Optimisation Team
The Solution
Peabody implemented KeyNest Points, a network of thousands of secure key storage locations across the UK, typically located within a short drive of the property in question. Access is granted remotely to authorized users only, and every collection and return is automatically logged. This eliminates the need for staff involvement in key handovers and provides the team with a clear record of who has which key at any given time.
“You can grant access remotely and see exactly who collected a key and when, in a simplified and easy-to-monitor way.” – Project Coordinator, Asset Optimisation Team
The Results
Since implementing KeyNest, Peabody estimates that they have saved between two and five hours per void property per month. This includes time saved on inspections, contractor visits, and viewings. Additionally, the number of unnecessary lock changes has decreased due to a lack of misplaced keys.
The Broader Impact on Social Housing
Aside from the time and cost savings, moving keys off on-site lockboxes and into KeyNest Point locations has also reduced the risk of loss, unauthorized access, and the security liability associated with unoccupied properties. For organizations that work with multiple external parties, having a full access log addresses a compliance gap that lockboxes cannot fulfill.
KeyNest integrates with over 100 property management platforms and operates in 30 countries, making it a practical solution for organizations managing large portfolios.
To read the full case study, click here…
About KeyNest
Founded in London in 2016, KeyNest is a key management platform that operates in 30 countries with over 100,000 clients and 10 million key movements logged. Their products include KeyNest Points, a network of 7,000 secure key exchange locations worldwide, and KeyNest Lockers, wall-mounted smart key storage for unmanned access management. With a rating of 4.9 on G2 and Excellent on Trustpilot, KeyNest has become a trusted and reliable solution for managing key access.
