There are no regulations generally applicable to key boxes, a recent phenomenon which is not of sufficient interest to receive its own, individual legislation.
The question therefore concerns general principles applicable in each field, which amounts to linking the notion to the places in which we wish to install them.
Here are a few points on how to see things more clearly regarding these famous key boxes.
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What is a key box?
A key box is a secure, hermetically sealed
safe or cabinet
designed to hold one or more keys, a keychain or a badge.
Small in size, it is intended to remain discreet.
The chosen location must be out of sight.
It attaches directly to an interior or exterior wall, by drilling it.
It can also be installed on a grid, if the key box is supplied with a handle.
Adhesive systems are strongly discouraged.
It opens using a
coded combination
that must be held.
The security system is the same as a code padlock.
This type of box is sold in most major DIY stores or on the Internet, at different prices.
Where to install a key box?
Logically, the key box must be installed near the accommodation in question for this to make sense.
But be careful, not everything is allowed.
In this regard, reference must be made to the rules relating to the property in question and its geographical location.
Rule for installing a key box in individual private property
If you are at home, therefore on private property, you are perfectly free to install your key box wherever you wish.
You can position it in the garden as well as on a building (wall of the house, gate, etc.).
Never mind !
The right to property is in fact absolute
(article 544 of the Civil Code)
.
Rule for installing a key box in co-ownership
Things get more complicated when you are the owner of a collective building.
Indeed, law n°65-557 of July 10, 1965 provides for a distribution of co-ownership premises between common areas and private areas.
However, accessible parts of the accommodation are generally considered to be common areas (access hall, doors, exterior walls, etc.).
Thus, assuming that the co-ownership regulations authorize tourist rental, you will not be able to install a key box in the common areas.
This requires
the express agreement of the co-ownership
obtained at a general meeting.
For installation on a private area, there are no restrictions.
You install it wherever you want.
Can we install a key box in the street or on street furniture?
By definition, street furniture is managed by a public authority for the benefit of the inhabitants of a territory, municipality or department.
As this concerns public capital goods, it is strictly forbidden to affix any device to them.
Article L.2121-1 of the General Code of Property of Public Entities provides that property in the public domain is allocated to the public utility (which would no longer be the case once an element relating to the public domain is attached to it). private domain such as a key box).
As this point is largely unknown to the general public, certain municipalities have issued orders formally prohibiting key boxes in the street, public space, and on street furniture such as street lamps, electrical cabinets, poles and lampposts.
This is the case in Paris or Lille for example.
Key box and insurance, what does the law say?
The law does not specify anything general.
Insurers may take a dim view of key boxes because they create insecurity.
It is in fact very easy to vandalize this system in order to extract the keys to a home and access it in complete peace of mind.
Also, in the event of a burglary occurring due to the break-in of a key box, your insurer may refuse to cover the damage, considering that the device contributed to the loss.
He may oppose you with a guarantee exclusion clause (article L113-1 of the Insurance Code).
Therefore, carefully consult the
general and specific conditions of your insurance policy
before installing this type of device.
Why install a key box at home?
Key boxes are experiencing a boom with the popularization of short-term rentals between individuals.
The key box has a major advantage:
practicality
.
People who rent out their accommodation for the benefit of vacationers or other travelers passing through no longer need to travel to open the door to their home.
They place the key box near the apartment or house on loan and then provide the code necessary to open it.
Tenants are thus independent from the start to the end of their occupation.
They put the key back in the key box when they leave.
The usefulness of a key box is also demonstrated when several people share the same property and not everyone has keys.
In particular, in the context of a vacation home shared by several members of a family and not occupied throughout the year.
Finally, it may also be beneficial to install a key box to save travel for elderly people or people with reduced mobility.
Even more so when they often receive people at their home (nurse, meal delivery, postman, etc.).
This list of valid reasons for setting up a key box is not exhaustive.
Everyone can find something of interest in their daily life.
How do key boxes work?
Classic, non-digital key boxes work quite simply, like mini safes.
They are provided with a
specific compartment
where one or more keys are placed.
Before closing the box, proceed as for a swimming pool locker: enter a
multi-digit code
on the closing system (numeric keys or removable numbers to turn).
All that remains is to
close the box
,
scramble the code
and entrust it to the expected tenants.
They can then, by typing the digital sequence received, open the system and retrieve the key to enter the accommodation.
There are also more traditional models that simply open with another key available in a key cabinet.
They are then opened
via
a lock, without a combination or code.
Others are very modern: they can be secured, activated or deactivated by smartphone with Bluetooth.
Key boxes, what you need to remember about what you can and cannot do
You can install one in the following locations:
Private house.
Private garden.
Building owned in its entirety.
You cannot, unless authorized by the general meeting of co-owners, install a key box within a building governed by co-ownership law.
It is strictly forbidden to install key boxes in public spaces.
If, despite the prohibitions and obstacles, you manage to install a key box near your home, pay attention to the conditions of your insurance contract.