Free template · updated November 3, 2026

Lockbox instructions for guests (template)

Check-in directions get guests in the door once. This is the in-stay version: how to use the lockbox each time they come and go, which key opens what, and where keys go on the last morning.

It's written for homes where the lockbox stays in use after arrival, such as a shared key for a group, a shed key or a key that lives in the box while guests are at the beach. Fill in your box, your keys and what you'd like done if one goes missing.

The template

Replace anything in [brackets] with your own details.

Your keys

[Number] keys are on the ring: [Key list, e.g. front door, back door, shed].
A second set is [Second set location, e.g. in the kitchen drawer] for the rest of your group.

Coming and going

If you'd rather not carry the key, you can leave it in the lockbox at [Lockbox location].
Code: [Lockbox code]
To open: [How it opens, e.g. set the dials, then slide the button down].
To close: put the key inside, shut the box until it clicks, then scramble the dials so the code isn't showing.
Please lock the door before you put the key away.

At night

Please lock [Which doors] when you go to bed. The key can stay inside with you.

If something goes wrong

The box won't open: set every dial to 0, then enter the code slowly, lining each number up with [Mark, e.g. the white line].
A key is lost: please tell us straight away so we can change the lock or the code. [Lost key policy].
A key snaps or bends: don't force it. Call [Host name] at [Host phone].

When you leave

Please put [All keys or which keys] back in the lockbox, close it, scramble the code and lock the door behind you. That's all we need.

Tips

Keep a spare key somewhere only you or a nearby helper can reach, not in a second box beside the first.
Change the lockbox code after every stay; guests often share it in group chats.
Use a key ring with a large tag so keys don't vanish into beach bags.
Spray the dials with a dry lubricant before winter so they don't freeze up.
Say whether you want every key back in the box, so you're not chasing a missing shed key later.

Put it on one guest page instead of a binder

Keegix turns your welcome book into one link and a QR sign by the door. Upload the binder you already have and AI drafts the page in about a minute, or paste this template in. Free forever for one property.

Upload my binder, free See a sample guest page

Questions

Is it safe to let guests leave keys in a lockbox during their stay?

Generally yes, if the box is solid, mounted well and the code changes after each stay. Ask guests to scramble the dials each time.

What should a guest do if they lose a rental key?

Tell the host right away so the lock or code can be changed. Set out any replacement charge in your house rules before the stay.

Why won't my lockbox open with the right code?

The dials are often slightly off the line, or the box is frozen or gritty. Resetting the dials and entering the code slowly usually works.

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Copy it, change it, print it, use it with any platform. Sharing it with a host group, on a blog or in a forum? A link back to this page helps other hosts find the latest version:

https://keegix.com/house-manual/lockbox/