Hello me solve an argument please

[FunkyFantasticFudgeball]

Ongoing argument in our house so I'll let mumsnet decide. Is it safer/better to leave the keys in the front door at night or hanging close by? Person A thinks it's a security risk to leave the keys in the front door, burglars could smash the glass panel in the door and let themselves in with the keys. Person B thinks it's safer to leave the keys in the front door in the event of a fire.

I leave them in the door. I'd rather risk burglary than being trapped in a fire and besides if someone smashed a window, I'd hear them and be down there with a weapon before they made it down the hall. I woke up when my hamster fell off his wheel and can hear a phone vibrating on another floor. I am a very very light sleeper.

I'm really at how many people have doors that need keys to get out.
A thumb lock for a deadlock is inexpensive, as a Yale locks

Why on EARTH would you take the risk of either burglars using your own keys, or not being able to get out quickly in an emergency, when you can get a safe solution for under £50 in b&q and fit it yourself in under an hour?

Even using a safety chain at night would be a million times safer than having a deadlocked door with keys nearby

I keep mine hanging close by the front door.

Car keys are kept in the kitchen, I'll check the insurance policy tomorrow

I won't leave the keys in the door, it's right next to the letterbox and I have this image of a skinny armed maniac getting their arm through the letterbox and turning the key...

The key is put in the same place every night and we all know where it is and could find it in the dark.

I think the official advice from the fire brigade is that you should never need keys to leave the house. People overcome by panic or disoriented by smoke can't find and use a key. You're better off having bolts or a chain or something else that you can easily undo without having to look for keys.

I've also heard that you shouldn't keep the keys in sight of the letterbox because someone could reach through with a pole and hook them, although I don't know how common that actually is!

sparechange Because some of us are council or private rent and don't have a choice in the matter.

Yes Starry, my old place was an ex-council private rental and we used to have to lock it with a key. It made me so nervous The door was glass on that one too! You can only do what you can. Although I'm now wondering whether there's anything in HMO guidelines about this 🤔

I've realised I typed deadlock instead of thumb lock sorry. They are fantastic, however no so good for escape artist children as friends of ours discovered

We keep the key in the lock, but only a door key with a chunky keyring that glows in the dark (you can't see the glow through the blind). We have a letter box cage in case anyone poking anything through tried to hook the key to open from the outside.

Getting out in a fire is more important than reducing risk of burglary.

Change locks so you can open up from inside without a key.

Our front door has a knob on the inside instead of keys. It was like that when we moved in but I like it. Nice and secure but no-one would struggle in a fire (the kids don't have house keys.)
We have a shoe cabinet just inside the door with a drawer where we keep keys so they can't be reached with a hook and pole.
We're very security conscious!

I remember once when I was coming home from work in the dark and I thought someone was following me. I was panicking and couldn't find the lock to get the key in the door. My hands were shaking and I had to get the torch on my phone to actually get the key in the lock. Luckily no one was following me . But the reality of trying to open my door when I was in panic mode Made me realise that even if you know where the keys are, in a fire the disorientation and total panic and fear you would be facing in a smoke filled, dark house means I would never chance not being able to open the door.

So I leave the key in and will be getting a thumb turn when we change the door.

If someone breaks in and steals stuff then it's just stuff in danger of being lost. If there is a fire and I can't get out then it's my life in danger of being lost. I know which I would rather not lose.

I keep my keys in the door.

I recently had a home safety visit from the Fire Service. The firefighter who came said he also works as a Special Constable.

When he's out with the fire service, he advises people to leave keys in or near the doors. When he's out with the police, he advises them to leave them well away. Helpful!

When pressed, his own opinion was to leave the keys near the door as it's more important that you can escape from a fire and if a burglar wants to get in, they probably will anyway.

Always leave the keys in the door.. my dad was a firefighter and that's the advice he gave.
Get contents insurance. Laptops and jewellery can be replaced. Life cannot!

On a coat peg in the hall. No burglar could reach them but we could if we needed to get out in an emergency.

I always said nearby, due to the burglar risk. But recently a firefighter friend said leave them in the back door. He said you may think you'll find the keys in the dark, in a room full of smoke, but you won't - he was adamant keys stay in the lock. So I'm doing that now.

sparechange Because some of us are council or private rent and don't have a choice in the matter

You can easily convert a standard Chubb lock into a thumb turn lock for the duration of your tenancy and then swap it back again when you leave

But why on Earth are people not flagging how dangerous this is with landlords and at least asking them to change it? Even if you cover the cost
For the sake of £50, to run the risk of being trapped inside in a fire, or burgled, is lunacy

Freida99
My friend was in her house with her daughter - they were upstairs doing bath time. She had left the keys on the hall table. They were picked up using a fishing rod/similar. She only knew when she came downstairs to find they had been burgled. This was in a very popular busy area - but very expensive houses so they all had little terraces. I am amazed that no one saw the burglar. They must be so efficient at it.

The police said they were having a spate of burglaries like hers.

In our road we had a run of people coming over the back gate and curving a window. Hasn't really stopped tbh. I disturbed burglars in my neighbours back garden.

Forcing a window. Not curving.

After an assessment by the fire service, my parents installed a small hook on the wall near the door, about eight inches off the floor. That way they can find the keys while crouched on the floor under smoke, but the keys aren't particularly visible or reachable via the letterbox (too low + bad angle).