A key holder agreement records exactly what access a client has handed over, who may use it, what it may be used for, how it is stored, who else may be let in, and what happens if it is lost or the arrangement ends. For anyone holding keys to houses they do not own, it is the most important single page of paperwork in the business. The full template is below — free, no email required.
Every home watcher, caretaker and recurring-route cleaner ends up holding keys, lockbox codes and alarm codes for houses that are empty most of the year. It is the part of the job with the most risk and the least paperwork. Most operators run on a text message and a spare key in a kitchen drawer.
Then something happens — a break-in with no forced entry, a contractor who was let in and should not have been, an alarm company demanding to know who holds code 4 — and the only question that matters is what was agreed, in writing, before any of it.
What does a key holder agreement need to cover?
- What was handed over, precisely. How many physical keys, which doors, fobs, gate remotes, garage codes, lockbox codes, alarm codes and app logins. Count them and write the number down.
- Who may hold and use it. Name the people. “My company” is not an answer when the company is you and occasionally your spouse.
- What it may be used for — scheduled visits, agreed extras, and emergencies. And what it may not be used for.
- How it is stored. Locked, unlabelled, coded rather than addressed. This is the clause that reassures a nervous client more than any other.
- Third-party entry. Who may be let in, whether the operator must be present, and whether prior approval is needed each time. This is the clause operators most often lack and most often need.
- Alarm and monitoring. Whether the operator is listed with the alarm company, the passcode arrangement, and who the company calls.
- Loss, compromise and rekeying. What happens, who pays, how fast it must be reported.
- Return and termination. When access goes back, in what condition, and what proof of return looks like.
- Insurance. What the operator carries, and the honest limits of it.
The clause most operators are missing
Care, custody and control. Standard general liability insurance is written to exclude damage to property in your care — which is the exact situation of a person alone in a client's empty house holding their keys. It has to be added explicitly as an endorsement, by name.
Say so in the agreement, and say what your limits are. A client who reads it will trust you more, not less, and an operator who has written it down has usually also gone and bought it. The insurance guide covers the full stack.
The template
This is a starting point, not legal advice. Key-holding, alarm registration and liability rules vary by state and by insurer, and the value of the property involved is usually large. Have a lawyer in your state read it before you use it, and check it against what your own policy actually covers.
Between [Your business name] (“the Operator”) and [Client name] (“the Owner”)
1. Property and parties
2. Access handed over
The Operator confirms receipt of the items listed above on the start date.
3. Who may hold and use it
Access is held only by the individuals named here. Access is not transferred, copied, duplicated or shared with anyone not named without the Owner's prior written consent.
4. Permitted use
Access may be used only to (a) perform the scheduled visits agreed in the service agreement, (b) perform additional services the Owner has approved, and (c) respond to an emergency affecting the property, in which case the Owner is notified as soon as reasonably possible. Access is used for no other purpose, and the property is not entered for personal reasons at any time.
5. Storage and security
Keys and codes are stored securely and are not labelled with the property address; a coded identifier is used instead. Keys are not left in vehicles overnight. Digital codes are stored in an access-controlled system, not in plain notes or unsecured messages. Codes are not sent by unencrypted text or email.
6. Third-party entry
Where the Operator admits a third party, a record is kept of who entered, when, why, and who authorised it, and it is reported to the Owner.
7. Alarm and monitoring
8. Loss, compromise and rekeying
The Operator reports any lost, stolen or possibly compromised key or code to the Owner without delay and in any case within 24 hours. Where rekeying or code changes are needed as a result of the Operator's loss, the cost is borne by the Operator / the Owner / shared as agreed below.
9. Insurance
A certificate of insurance is provided to the Owner on request.
10. Return and termination
Either party may end this agreement with days' written notice. On termination, or at the Owner's request at any time, all keys, fobs and remotes are returned within days and all digital access is surrendered. The Owner is advised to change alarm codes and smart-lock credentials on termination as a matter of routine, regardless of the reason.
11. Signatures
Three habits that matter more than the paperwork
- Never label a key with the address. A tagged key ring in a stolen truck is a list of empty houses. Use a code that means something only to you.
- Log every third-party entry the day it happens — who, when, why, who approved it. This is the record that resolves the awkward conversation months later, and it belongs on the visit report.
- Re-confirm access every season. Owners change locks, add smart locks, and change alarm codes without telling anyone. Arriving to a code that no longer works, on a day with four other houses on the route, is the most avoidable lost hour in the job.
Frequently asked questions
Do home watch operators need a key holder agreement?
Yes — anyone holding keys or codes to a property they do not own should have one. It records what was handed over, who may use it, and what happens if it is lost. Without it, every one of those questions is settled after the fact by memory.
Can a key holder agreement be part of the service agreement?
It can, and for a small operator that is often simpler. Keep it as a clearly headed section rather than scattered clauses, so the access terms can be found and re-signed on their own when a client changes locks or adds a smart lock.
Should I let contractors into a client's home?
Only if the agreement says you may, and ideally only with approval for each visit or a named standing list. Log every entry. Many operators charge for the let-in as an extra, which is reasonable — it is an appointment window, not a favour.
Does my insurance cover a lost key?
Often not by default. Standard general liability excludes damage to property in your care, custody and control, and rekeying costs after a lost key can fall outside it too. Ask your broker specifically about care, custody and control coverage and about lost-key or rekeying cover, and get the answer in writing.
How should I store lockbox and alarm codes?
In an access-controlled system rather than in plain notes, a spreadsheet, or a phone's messages. Do not store the code next to the address in the same readable line, and never send codes over unencrypted text or email.
Keep access details where they belong
House Matters holds each home's access details with the home itself, alongside the checklist, the visit history and the billing — not in a spreadsheet and not in your messages. Free up to three client homes, $19 a month after.
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