Experts have issued a warning about hiding your spare keys outside of your home as it could do more harm than good.
As well as being an "open invitation for burglars", according to the experts at Comparethemarket, it could also potentially invalidate your home insurance.
The comparison experts recently surveyed 2,000 people and found that a third of UK residents hide their spare key somewhere on their property.
According to the research, the most popular place to hide a key is in a key safe or lockbox which often requires a code to be accessed,
Following that, one in 10 Brits hide their keys under the doormat and nine percent hide it under an ornament such as a garden statue.
| Rank | Location | Percentage |
| 1 | Key safe/Lockbox | 33 |
| 2 | Under doormat | 10 |
| 3 | Under ornament | 9 |
| 4 | In/under plant pot | 8 |
| 5 | Behind/under loose brick | 7 |
While a second key might be helpful should you lose your main one, you must replace the locks immediately after using the spare.
Anna McEntee, home insurance expert from Comparethemarket, explained: “If your keys happen to be lost or stolen, it’s important to get the locks changed as soon as possible – not just for security, but to make sure your home insurance policy isn’t at risk of being invalidated.
"Some home insurance policies offer cover for replacement locks if keys are lost, so it’s worth checking what level of cover you have with your provider if you do need to change the locks."
Anna also shared some tips on the best approach to storing spare keys on or around your property, and suggests that a majority of homeowners are going about things the right way.
The expert says: "When it comes to hiding spare keys, storing them around your property can not only be unsafe but could also invalidate home insurance policy.
"Key safes and lock boxes are a reliable solution for storing spare keys.
"just be aware that insurance providers often request evidence that it meets the necessary security standards to comply with your insurance policy requirements.""
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