Before you change keyholding provider, agree the handover on paper: who holds your keys on each day, who answers the alarm, and what the new provider will actually do when it goes off. Most of the risk in a switch sits in the gap between the old arrangement ending and the new one starting, not in the choice of company.
The checks are the same for a shop in Leigh, a unit on an industrial estate near Basildon or a small office in Southend.
Response times: ask for the wording in writing
A quoted response time only helps if you know what it measures. Ask any provider:
- whether a response time is a contractual commitment or an aim;
- when the clock starts and stops, for example from the call being received or from the guard being tasked;
- what happens if the nearest guard is already attending another site;
- how the answer differs at three in the morning compared with a weekday afternoon.
Our keyholding and alarm response page says alarm response follows documented procedures and your agreed instructions, without unsupported minute guarantees. Whoever you choose, you should be able to read what has been agreed.
SIA licences and company status
Anyone attending your premises to respond to an alarm should be appropriately SIA licensed. Ask to see how that is checked and whether licences are renewed on time. The SIA licence register is public, and a provider should be comfortable with you using it.
Company-level approval is a separate question from individual licences. If a provider mentions an accreditation or approved contractor status, ask for it to be confirmed in writing. Our officers are SIA licensed individually, and any company-level status is confirmed in writing on request.
How your keys are stored and secured
Many people skip this part. Ask:
- where the keys are held, and whether that location is monitored;
- how keys are labelled, so a key tag does not reveal your address;
- who can sign keys out, and how that person is identified;
- whether every collection and return is recorded.
We hold keys in a secure, monitored facility, with audited access for every collection and return. Only authorised personnel use held keys during alarm response.
Contract handover and notice periods
Read your current contract before you speak to anyone new. Check:
- the notice period, and the date it would need to be served by;
- whether the contract renews automatically;
- how and when your keys will be returned to you, and who signs for them;
- whether alarm codes, contact lists and site instructions need updating on the day you switch.
Plan the changeover so there is never a night with no named responder. A short overlap is usually better than a gap. Arrange the return of your old keys and the handover of the new set on the same day where you can. Make sure your alarm monitoring company has the new keyholder details before the old ones are removed.
Where the guards are based
For a single site or a handful in Essex, ask where the guards who would attend are actually based. We routinely cover South Essex from our Southend base. Sites further out are reviewed individually, so we can confirm a realistic response standard before taking on the contract. Our Essex keyholding page sets this out. You should expect the same straight answer from any provider.
What good alarm response looks like
Use this list to test any provider:
- the guard attends using your agreed instructions, without calling your staff out of hours;
- they check the building safely and do not confront suspected intruders;
- they take practical steps to secure the site where they can;
- police are contacted where needed, without any promise that police will attend automatically;
- you receive a written report covering findings and actions, ideally with timestamps and photographs.
More detail on what attendance involves is on our alarm response page.
Before you switch
If you are unsure where your current gaps are, try the free keyholding risk check. It takes about two minutes and needs no email address. When you are ready to compare options, contact us for a written quote for one premises or several. We are happy to answer questions on any of the points above. There is no obligation to switch.