Key holding and alarm response

[edit] Introduction

Key holding is a service in which a security company holds the keys to a building on behalf of its owner or occupier and sends a trained officer to the premises when needed. The most common reason for attendance is the activation of an intruder alarm outside working hours. Key holding is widely used for offices, shops, schools, warehouses, vacant buildings and construction sites that are left unoccupied at night or at weekends.

Using a key holding company means that the building owner's own staff do not have to travel to an empty building alone at night to find out why an alarm has gone off.

[edit] How key holding works

A typical key holding arrangement involves the following steps:

• Agreement: the client and provider agree which keys and alarm codes are held, who may authorise access, the contact list, and what the officer may do on site.
• Key handover: keys are logged and tagged with a reference code rather than the property address, so that a lost key cannot be linked to the building.
• Secure storage: keys are kept in a locked, access-controlled store, and each issue and return is recorded.
• Notification: when the alarm activates, the alarm receiving centre or a nominated contact calls the key holding company.
• Attendance: an officer travels to the site, checks the exterior first and then the interior where it is safe and authorised to do so.
• Action: the officer secures the premises, resets the alarm where authorised and calls the police or other emergency services if required.
• Report: the client receives a record of the call-out, including times, findings and actions taken.

[edit] Alarm response and related services

Key holding is the safe custody of keys; alarm response is the attendance of an officer when the alarm activates. The two are normally provided together. Contracts may also include:

• Locking and unlocking premises at set times.
• Out-of-hours access for contractors, engineers or emergency services.
• Attendance after a break-in, flood or fire until the building is safe.
• Arranging a temporary security officer if a door or window cannot be secured.

[edit] Keyholders for monitored alarms

Where an intruder alarm is monitored and can request a police response, police policy and the alarm company will normally require named keyholders who can reach the premises promptly (commonly within about 20 minutes), and many alarm companies ask for at least two. If keyholders repeatedly fail to attend, police response may be withdrawn. A key holding company can act as one or all of the named keyholders. The exact requirements should be confirmed with the alarm company and the building's insurer.

[edit] Licensing and standards in the UK

• SIA licence: in the UK, key holding provided under contract is a licensable activity under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Officers who guard premises during a call-out also need a front-line licence, such as a Security Guarding licence.
• BS 7984-1:2016 is the British Standard code of practice for keyholding and response services. It covers how keys are stored and how call-outs are managed and recorded.
• BS 7858 sets out the security screening of individuals employed in a security environment, including officers who hold keys and enter client premises.
• The SIA Approved Contractor Scheme can cover key holding as well as security guarding, so clients can check the scope for which a provider is approved.

[edit] Key holding compared with other security services

• Key holding and alarm response: an officer attends only when called, usually after an alarm activation. Suitable for premises that close at night or at weekends and have an alarm.
• Mobile patrols: officers make short visits at set or random times. Suitable for regular checks and lock-ups without a full-time guard.
• Static guarding: an officer is on site continuously for agreed hours. Suitable for busy or high-risk sites, including many construction sites, that should not be left unattended.
• Many buildings combine key holding with patrols, or with static guarding during higher-risk periods.

[edit] Choosing a key holding provider

Points to check when appointing a provider include:

• whether the company holds the correct SIA licence and is an SIA Approved Contractor for key holding
• how keys are tagged, stored and logged, and who can access them
• the attendance time written into the contract
• whether a report is issued after every call-out
• whether officers are screened to BS 7858
• where the response team is based in relation to the premises

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Access control
• Alarm receiving centre
• CCTV
• Commercial security systems
• Intruder alarm
• Perimeter security
• Security
• Security breach
• Security incident
• Security management plan

[edit] External references

• GOV.UK, Find out if you need an SIA licence: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-out-if-you-need-an-sia-licence
• BS 7984-1:2016 Keyholding and response services. Code of practice. BSI.
• USSG, What is key holding? A UK guide: https://ussgl.co.uk/what-is-key-holding/

--USSG Ltd 16:13, 09 Nov 2026 (BST)