The short answer
- Retrace your steps and call the places you visited.
- Report the loss to the right lost property office.
- Secure your home if the keys could be linked to it.
- If you rent, tell your landlord or letting agent.
- Next time, use a tag that does not show your address.
In the first hour
Check your bag, pockets and car. Then call the places you visited and the people you were with.
| Where you lost them | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| A shop, pub, gym or office | Call them and ask what has been handed in. |
| A London bus, the Tube or another TfL service | TfL lost property, online. For a bus in the last 3 days, ask the bus operator first (no charge at the garage). TfL’s Lost Property Office charges a fee to get items back. |
| A train | The train company’s own lost property service. |
| A taxi or minicab | The taxi firm or booking app. For a London black cab, TfL lost property. |
| A street or park | Ask nearby shops and post in local community groups. In Scotland, call the local police station too. |
Will the police help?
In England and Wales, usually not. Most forces no longer take reports of general lost property. Some, including the Met, only return found keys to someone who can prove they own them.
In Scotland, Police Scotland does not take loss reports for keys on their own. Found keys are kept at the station they were handed in to, so contact the stations near where you lost them. In Northern Ireland, check the PSNI’s advice on lost property.
Anywhere in the UK, stolen keys are a theft: report it to the police online or on 101, and tell your insurer.
Should you change the locks?
Change them if someone could link the keys to your home: they were stolen, or lost with post, ID or a tag showing your address. If nothing with them identifies you, the risk is lower.
If you are unsure, have the locks changed or rekeyed. On most uPVC and composite doors, a locksmith only needs to swap the cylinder. Use a vetted locksmith, such as a member of the Master Locksmiths Association, and get a price before any work starts.
If you rent
Tell your landlord or letting agent straight away. They may hold a spare. In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 limits a charge for a lost key to reasonable costs, backed by written evidence. Wales has similar rules. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, check your tenancy agreement. Ask before changing the locks yourself.
Car keys and insurance
A dealer or an auto locksmith can make a new car key. Ask them to remove the lost key from the car’s system, so it can no longer start the car. Check whether your insurance includes key cover.
Why you should never put your address on your keys
A tag with your address turns lost keys into a way into your home: whoever picks them up knows which door they open. That is why key return schemes use a numbered fob instead. A phone number is less risky, but anyone can read it, and an engraved one cannot be changed.
How a Reuno tag helps
A Reuno tag carries a QR code and nothing that identifies you: no name, no number, no address. Whoever finds your keys scans it with any phone camera and messages you through Reuno. The finder page comes in 8 languages. Turn on lost mode and the page tells the finder you are looking for them.
No app, no battery and no subscription, from £9. See what a finder sees, read about QR code key tags and NFC key tags, or tag your bags with luggage tags with a QR code.
Prices
Pay once for the tag. There is no subscription and no charge per scan.
- One tag: £9
- Two-pack: £15£7.50 per tag
- Three-pack: £19£6.33 per tag
- Five-pack: £28£5.60 per tag
UK delivery is free. EU delivery is £2 per order. NFC adds £2 per pack, once, however many of its tags have it.
Found someone’s keys?
If they have a Reuno tag, scan it and message the owner, anonymously. Otherwise, hand them to staff where you found them or to the transport operator’s lost property. In Scotland, the law expects finders to hand in or report what they find.
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