Imperial Security provides key holding and alarm response cover for businesses and residents across Greenwich, from the shops and stalls around Greenwich Market to offices, riverside apartment blocks and premises further out towards the Peninsula. When an alarm activates outside your working hours, our control room dispatches an SIA-licensed guard to attend, check the property and deal with the cause, so you are not the one getting out of bed or leaving a family dinner to drive across London.
We hold keys for retailers, hospitality venues, managing agents, offices and homeowners, and we let in contractors, cleaners and engineers when you cannot be on site yourself.
Greenwich mixes a historic tourist centre with a fast-growing residential and commercial area on the Peninsula, and the two halves create quite different key holding needs. Greenwich Market and the surrounding streets run to a fixed daily rhythm, open seven days from 10am to 5.30pm under Greenwich Hospital's management, which means stallholders and nearby shops need a dependable response once trading ends and the crowds clear. Further towards North Greenwich, ongoing residential and mixed-use building work is bringing new blocks, offices and retail units online, and each new completion adds another property that needs a key holder in place before the doors open to tenants or the public.
That combination of a dense historic core and an expanding development area means Greenwich premises rarely fit one standard security pattern. Our guards know both sides of the borough, so whether your alarm goes off above a shop near the market or in a new building on the Peninsula, the response is handled by someone who understands the area rather than someone reading a satnav for the first time.
7 Day Rolling Contract
No hidden fees, hassle free, Flexible. Not locked into a long-term contract. Easy to scale up or down
Sector Specific Experience
Each security guard is selected based on experience relevant to that specific sector
Street Wise & Vigilant
Local, street-smart expertly trained to protect & deter threats. Confident & observant
| What Our Greenwich Key Holding Service Provides
The six duties below cover the everyday key holding needs of Greenwich's market traders, shops, offices and residential blocks.
Alarm activation response
When your alarm triggers, our control centre sends a licensed guard to attend your Greenwich premises, check for signs of entry and secure the building.
Secure off-site key storage
Keys are stored off site in line with BS 7984, logged in and out, and never left on a premises where they could be found during a break-in.
Contractor and staff access
We let in cleaners, engineers and delivery staff outside normal hours, so you do not have to leave a market stall unattended or drive back to unlock an office.
Mobile property patrols
Key holding can be paired with randomised patrols that check doors, windows and yards around Greenwich Market and nearby commercial streets.
Emergency service liaison
If an intrusion is confirmed, our guard liaises directly with police and stays on site until the property is secure and, where needed, a keyholder or manager arrives.
Auditable access records
Every attendance, access and handover is logged, giving managing agents and business owners a clear record of who entered a property and when.
| Who We Provide Key Holding For In Greenwich
Greenwich's mix of trading, tourism and new development brings a wide range of buyers to our key holding service.
Market traders and independent shops
Stallholders and shopkeepers around Greenwich Market need someone to respond after the 5.30pm close, when the crowds have gone and units are left unattended overnight.
Managing agents and landlords
Agents managing residential blocks and commercial units across Greenwich need a reliable keyholder for communal areas, void units and contractor access.
Offices near the town centre and Peninsula
Offices around Greenwich town centre and the newer developments towards North Greenwich need out-of-hours cover as staff numbers and floor space grow.
Homeowners and residents
Residents travelling or working away need a trusted keyholder to respond to an alarm or let in a tradesperson without a neighbour being asked to step in.
We also cover related sectors nearby, including retail security and corporate security for Greenwich businesses that need cover beyond key holding.
| The Security Problems We Solve In Greenwich
Greenwich's blend of a dense historic trading centre and an expanding development area creates specific gaps that key holding closes.
Staff and owners being called out personally
Without a professional keyholder, a triggered alarm means a shop owner or manager has to leave home at any hour to check the premises themselves. We take that call instead, so you are not the one driving into Greenwich at 3am.
Unattended units after market hours
Greenwich Market's fixed 10am to 5.30pm trading day leaves units and nearby shop fronts unattended for long stretches. Our response and optional patrols cover exactly that window.
New buildings without established security routines
As new residential and commercial buildings complete on the Peninsula and around North Greenwich, many are handed over without a key holding arrangement in place. We set one up before the first tenant moves in.
Uncontrolled access for contractors and cleaners
Handing spare keys to contractors or leaving a door on the latch creates a record nobody controls. Our guards let people in and out against a logged appointment, so access stays accountable.
| Why Choose Imperial Security In Greenwich
Local operating knowledge
Our guards know the layout around Greenwich Market, the town centre's narrow streets and the routes out towards the Peninsula, so they reach your premises quickly rather than searching for an entrance on arrival.
We cover Greenwich and the surrounding SE10 area, including Blackheath, Charlton and the Greenwich Peninsula.
One point of contact, day or night
Our control centre operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so there is always someone available to dispatch a guard, whatever time your alarm activates.
Vetting, licensing and insurance
Every guard we place on a Greenwich assignment meets our company standards.
- Valid SIA licensing: appropriate to the role & verified qualifications
- BS 7858 compliant vetting: five-year employment & education history
- Enhanced DBS checks: The level appropriate for your sector
- Professional reference verification: All previous security employers
- Insurance: Public liability, employers' liability & professional indemnity
- First aid trained: Emergency response & CPR certified
- ACT counter-terrorism awareness training: Threat recognition & response certified
| How Our Greenwich Service Operates
01
Site survey
We visit your Greenwich premises to review access points, alarm systems and any existing arrangements before agreeing the service.
02
Key collection and storage
Your keys are collected, logged and stored off site in a secure facility compliant with BS 7984.
03
Control centre set-up
We record your alarm receiving details, contacts and any site-specific instructions on our 24/7 control centre system.
04
Alarm dispatch
When your alarm activates, we dispatch the nearest available guard to attend your Greenwich address.
05
On-site attendance and reporting
Our guard checks the property, deals with the cause and reports back with a written record of what was found.
06
Ongoing access and patrols
We continue to let in contractors, run agreed patrols and hold your keys for as long as you need the service.
Get your free Greenwich key holding quote
Send us your address or postcode, the type of building, when you would like the service to start, your alarm hours, the number of entrances and what prompted your enquiry.
Call us on 0208 088 2878, or send your details through the quote form and we will come back to you with a written proposal.
Related services and nearby areas
See our full service page on key holding, or other cover in the area: all Greenwich security services, retail security in Greenwich, corporate security in Greenwich, key holding in Blackheath, key holding in Charlton, key holding in Lewisham.