Before a keyholding and alarm response service starts, agree who can authorise action, verify that the access arrangements work, confirm how alarms reach the responder, and test the handover. Passing over a spare key alone does not settle these responsibilities.

This checklist helps facilities teams and commercial-property managers prepare a clear brief. It is general planning guidance: the final instructions must reflect your building, risk assessment, alarm system and contract.

1. Agree exactly what the service includes

Separate key custody, alarm monitoring and attendance at the property. They may involve different organisations and separate charges. Ask who receives the first notification, who requests attendance and who owns the incident until it is closed.

Record whether the agreed service includes an external assessment, authorised internal checks, securing the premises, arranging an engineer or remaining on site. Do not assume repairs, replacement locks or temporary guarding are included.

• What triggers a call-out, and who can cancel it?
• Which tasks are included, and which require additional approval?
• What happens if the property cannot safely be entered or secured?
• How are call-out charges, attendance time and third-party costs calculated?

Request site-specific attendance arrangements in writing. A provider’s base location or advertised service area is not a guaranteed arrival time.

2. Name the people who can make decisions

Provide a primary contact and a deputy, with a clear escalation process if neither answers. Check that each person accepts the responsibility and can authorise the actions expected of them.

Agree spending limits for urgent work, who may instruct contractors, and who can approve temporary protection. For a managed building, distinguish the landlord’s authority from the tenant’s: access to shared areas does not automatically permit entry into every occupied unit.

Keep this contact list in a controlled handover record. Share personal numbers only with those who need them for the service, and replace outdated details promptly.

3. Check access without exposing sensitive details

Arrange an authorised handover visit to confirm that the agreed keys or credentials work and cover the agreed areas. Record custody and receipt, including how keys will be returned when the contract ends. Agree what happens when locks, credentials or authorised users change.

Ask the provider how access information is stored, who may use it and how access is withdrawn. Do not put codes, key locations or entry instructions in a public enquiry form, routine marketing email or shared public document. Use the secure method agreed with the provider.

Keep the publicly shareable service brief separate from the confidential operational instructions. A tender or initial enquiry can describe the type of property and support needed without disclosing its vulnerabilities.

4. Join up the alarm and response arrangements

Confirm the roles of the alarm maintenance company, any alarm receiving centre and the responding provider. Check that each has the correct contact information and understands the start date. Changing a keyholder does not automatically update every organisation involved.

Agree who may reset the system and when an engineer must attend. Include a process for reporting repeated faults and confirming that they have been resolved, rather than treating each activation as a closed, isolated call-out.

Before any test, arrange it with the relevant alarm and monitoring parties so it follows their procedures. Do not deliberately trigger an unannounced alarm to measure attendance.

5. Confirm safe working limits and licence checks

Share relevant safety information through the controlled handover, including restrictions arising from building works or a change in occupancy. Agree when responders must stay outside, seek specialist support or escalate an emergency. A keyholding contract is not permission to enter an unsafe building.

The SIA distinguishes keyholding from other security activities. Its keyholding training guidance explains that call-out work involving manned guarding requires the appropriate front-line licence and associated qualification. Check the proposed duties against the SIA’s licensing guidance, rather than relying on a job title.

Use the official SIA licence-checking service to verify the correct licence for the work. Ask how the supplier keeps those checks current. Where your insurer sets conditions, obtain confirmation that the proposed arrangements meet your own policy requirements.

6. Decide what a completed incident report must show

A useful report should let the next responsible person understand the outcome and any remaining action. Agree a format covering:

• The notification, attendance and completion times.
• What was observed, with facts distinguished from assumptions.
• Actions taken and who authorised them.
• The condition in which the property was left and any unresolved issue.
• The person responsible for follow-up and the agreed reporting channel.

Set appropriate access controls for reports and images. Avoid routinely circulating photographs or descriptions that reveal security arrangements to people who do not need them.

7. Sign off the handover before the start date

Run a tabletop exercise with the people involved. For example: an alarm notification arrives, the first contact is unavailable and an engineer is needed. Can each party explain who makes the next decision? This tests responsibilities without disclosing patrol patterns or staging a live incident.

For a Watford commercial building, a landlord in Bushey or a facilities team in Hemel Hempstead, the same principle applies: assess the specific property and practical travel arrangements. Nearby locations still need individual confirmation of service availability and attendance terms.

Ready to start? Confirm that the service scope is agreed, contacts are current, access has been checked, alarm notifications are correctly routed and the reporting process is understood. Give every outstanding issue an owner before signing off the start date.

Keep the handover current

Review the instructions after a tenancy change, building work, a lock or alarm change, a staff departure or an incident that reveals a gap. A completed checklist is a starting point; someone on your team should remain responsible for keeping it accurate.

ZimCos lists keyholding, alarm monitoring and vacant-property support among its security services. To discuss a property in Watford or the surrounding area, contact ZimCos with its general location and the support you need. Agree scope, availability and secure handover arrangements before sending sensitive site information.