Around 37,500 homes will be bought this year with the buyers unaware that at least one spare set of keys for the property is still with a third party, with an even greater problem among rental properties, according to NIG.
A survey conducted by NOP on behalf of the insurer reported that over half (58%) of GB residents give away spare sets of keys to their home, but 4% do not bother to reclaim them when they move. In rented properties 7% of tenants do not reclaim their keys.
Two thirds of those surveyed (59%) said they did not change the locks when they last moved into a new home.
Commenting on the survey's findings, NIG's director of personal lines, Adrian Harris, said: “This is really quite a worrying result for both home owners and insurers. The fact that so many unclaimed keys are in circulation raises major questions about home security."
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