What is the best way to hide a spare house key outdoors?

Obviously, everyone looks under the door mat.
I thought the fake rock to hide a key in, in a nearby flower bed, was clever.

But it’s the 21st century. A digital key pad deadbolt is the way to go.

give it to a trusted neighbour.

I have one similar to this mounted on a brick exterior wall in a remote location. It’s been handy when I’ve locked myself out of the house or there was a power outage.

Mom kept her spare house key in one of those metal boxes with a magnetic attachment on the bottom of an ancient metal trash can in the car port. Anyone that she trusted knew about it. It’s highly unlikely that a stranger would look there.

I like both ideas @Pied_Pfeffer!

I love the 2nd one, @Pied_Pfeffer!

My spare is in the garage, in a box with a bunch of junk. I can tell someone where it is and how to recognize it, but it’s not obvious to people who don’t know.

I keep a spare house key in my car for me and one in my garage for designated friends.

@canidmajor Does your garage have a manual opener from the outside? Mine doesn’t. When the power is out, I can open it from inside of the garage by pulling on a lever, but not from outside.

There is a key hole on the outside of the garage door, but it wasn’t passed on when the house was purchased. The door locks were changed upon the sale, but come to think of it, the garage door lock wasn’t.

Hide it under one of those artificial rocks of my fish pond. Who would ever thought it is there?

Or bury them under the pile of trash in the rubbish bin. Anyone wanting to get it have to dig through trash!

A fake rock or sprinkler head in the flower bed.

Under the cats gravestone in the garden.

In the neighbors yard. Doesn’t matter if someone finds it. They will just end up trying it on the wrong lock.

Mine is hidden in my garage.

The walk-in door for the garage has an unlockable knob but it’s secured by a combination lock.

That way I can’t lock myself out of my house even when the garage is locked, and even if someone knew the key was in the garage, they’d have to break in and then spend a major amount of time trying to find it.

Put the dummy key under the mat, and the real key 3 inches up the rain spout with a magnet, if you have the cheaper vinyl ones, use self-sticking Velcro. If someone comes and tries the dummy key and it doesn’t work, they will not think there is a second key.

Mine is at my grandma’s house. She lives close.

Well, IPs are easily trackable…Now that I know where all of your spare keys are, would you mind discussing who has the most money? TIA ;)

Best place for me is in the light fixture outside the door. It’s doesn’t work anymore, so no risk of burns out electrocution .

@Pied_Pfeffer:That’s a good point, I hadn’t thought about that. We lose power so rarely that it’s highly improbable, but it could happen. The garage has a pedestrian door, I should hide that key somewhere. Thanks! :-)

Ah, and there is the difference. My garage doesn’t have a pedestrian door. Plus, the power goes out, or threatens to, several times a year especially during tornado seasons and icy conditions.

I’m glad you mentioned it, though, as we have hurricanes here, and sometimes we are days without power. Like I said it’s rare to lose it, but it’s good to have another option.

I don’t have a garage or garbage bins. @Hypocrisy_Central s idea sounds quite good. Also, I have JWs living upstairs, a retired couple, and they see and hear everything. Better than watchdogs.

I move mine around. Anywhere on the ground is too common; under a rock, mat, brick. I have been known to tie it to a string and suspend it somewhere inside a hedge or flower bush.

I put it in a sucrets box and throw it in the recycling bin.

*went outside to see where she could feel safe hiding a key, didn’t find anywhere.

You’re a sharp lady, you should be able to find someplace.

@Adirondackwannabe has more to do with the problems I’m having with the ex right now. He seems to think he can come shop at my house.

@cazzie Not really a GA, but I know of the ex. God where do some peeps come from? Ex means move on. Let me think on it for a few.

Do you have access to a Spencer’s or similar shop. They sell fake dog crap. Who in their right mind would look for a key under dog crap?

Here you go.

Under the boardwalk…boardwalk.

I used to have a little resin squirrel figurine with a rectangular compartment in the base. About $6 from TJ Maxx or one of those stores. A locksmith who came to do some work here said, when I brought up the topic, “Don’t tell me. It’s a bad idea.” I guess keeping a spare key in any secret spot is a bad idea.

I would leave the key in full view but hide the door.