Business key and door checklist

Run this once a year, and again every time someone leaves with a key. It shows who can get in, which doors actually lock, and what to fix first.

Who can get in

• List every key, card and fob issued, by name and by door
• Count the spare keys and note where they are kept
• Include cleaners, contractors, the landlord and the alarm company
• Note which keys anyone can copy at a hardware store
• Write down every shared code: keypad, alarm and safe

When someone leaves

• Collect keys, cards, fobs and remotes on the last day
• Switch off their card or fob the same day
• Key not returned: rekey, or change the core, on every door it opens
• Change any code they knew

Every outside door

• Closes and latches on its own, even on a cold morning
• Latch and strike line up, with no binding or rubbing
• Cylinders turn freely, with no frost, salt or grit
• Exit devices push open freely and the way to them is clear
• No lock that needs a key from the inside on a door people use to get out
• Back door and loading door checked as carefully as the front

Decide

• Few doors and low turnover: rekey when a key goes missing, and consider restricted keys
• Regular turnover or shifts: cards or fobs on the main doors
• Different people for different doors: a master key system or access control
• Worn hardware on a busy door: commercial-grade replacement

Records

• Keep a key log and update it every time a key changes hands
• Check whether your lease needs the landlord's agreement for door hardware changes
• File this sheet with your lease or building records