Imperial Security provides key holding for shops, offices and private estates across Dulwich, giving businesses and homeowners a secure alternative to keeping a set of keys on site or with staff. We store keys off site, respond to triggered alarms at any hour, and carry out scheduled locking and unlocking for premises that need cover before or after normal opening times.
Retailers on Lordship Lane, hospitality venues in Dulwich Village, schools near Herne Hill and residential estates along College Road all use the service to avoid sending an owner or staff member to an unattended building alone.
The Metropolitan Police's Dulwich Village ward currently lists theft and robbery, much of it aimed at school students and passers-by, alongside motor vehicle crime as local priorities, with extra patrols scheduled around school hours. Separately, a West Dulwich café has reported repeated overnight break-ins targeting equipment left outdoors, forcing staff to lock away stock and machinery every evening as a matter of routine. Both point to the same practical issue for local premises: anything left unattended out of hours, or any alarm triggered after staff have gone home, needs someone who can get there quickly and check the building properly.
A shop, café or office that closes without a keyholder on call is relying on an owner or manager to drop what they're doing and travel back if the alarm goes off at night. Handing that responsibility to Imperial Security means a trained guard collects and secures your keys, attends any alarm activation, and completes the daily lock-up or unlock so your own team never has to enter a building alone before or after hours.
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 Dulwich Key Holding Service Provides
Dulwich mixes independent shops, cafés, schools and residential estates, so our key holding duties cover both commercial locking routines and emergency response.
Key collection and secure storage
We collect your keys in person and store them off site under controlled access, so a lost or stolen set never traces back to your Dulwich address.
24/7 alarm response
If an alarm at your Lordship Lane shop or Village premises activates overnight, a guard attends, checks the building and liaises with the police if needed.
Lock and unlock services
We open and secure premises outside normal hours, useful for cafés and shops that trade early or late along Lordship Lane and Dulwich Village.
Emergency callout attendance
We're on standby for break-ins, vandalism, fire alarms or accidental lockouts, attending quickly to limit disruption to your business or home.
Property inspection and reporting
On every callout we check the perimeter, note anything unusual and send you a short report so you know the state of the property before you arrive.
Out-of-hours contractor access
Where a cleaner, contractor or delivery needs access before or after trading hours, we open up, supervise entry and secure the premises again afterwards.
| Who We Provide Key Holding For In Dulwich
Dulwich's mix of independent retail, hospitality, education and private estates means each client needs a slightly different key holding arrangement.
Independent retailers
Shops along Lordship Lane and in Dulwich Village that close without an owner on site need a keyholder who can respond the moment an alarm sounds.
Cafés and hospitality venues
Venues with early starts or late closes, or outdoor equipment left overnight, benefit from a scheduled lock-up rather than relying on rotating staff.
Schools near Herne Hill
Term-time premises need reliable out-of-hours locking and a fast response if a site alarm activates outside school hours.
Property management and private estates
Estates and managed blocks along College Road need a single accountable keyholder rather than several sets of keys held by different residents or agents.
| The Security Problems We Solve In Dulwich
Dulwich sees a steady flow of enquiries from businesses and homeowners who want to remove the risk of someone attending an alarm alone, or who are tired of building lock-up into a busy closing routine.
Staff attending alarms alone at night
Sending a manager or member of staff back to a shop or café after an alarm call puts them at risk if the cause turns out to be a break-in in progress. Our guards attend instead, checking the building before anyone else needs to go near it.
Overnight break-ins to unattended equipment
Outdoor stock, fridges and equipment left overnight at hospitality venues have been targeted in Dulwich, forcing owners into time-consuming daily lock-away routines. A scheduled lock-up from a security guard removes that burden from staff and adds a checked closedown each night.
Multiple keys held by different people
Estates and managed properties often have keys spread across agents, cleaners and residents, making it hard to know who can get in and when. Centralising keys with one accountable keyholder closes that gap.
No cover for early or late trading hours
Cafés and shops that open early or close late on Lordship Lane can struggle to have someone available to unlock or lock securely at those times. We schedule the opening and closing so it happens reliably, whatever your trading hours.
| Why Choose Imperial Security In Dulwich
Local operating knowledge
Our guards are familiar with Dulwich's layout, from the Village's cultural venues to the retail stretch of Lordship Lane, so response routes and access points are already known before a callout happens.
We cover Dulwich Village, East Dulwich and West Dulwich, along with the SE21 and SE22 postcodes and neighbouring Herne Hill.
Standards-based key storage
Keys are collected, logged and stored in line with BS 7984 key holding practice, so access to your premises stays controlled and traceable at every stage.
Vetting, licensing and insurance
Every guard we place on a Dulwich 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 Dulwich Service Operates
01
Site visit and key collection
We visit your Dulwich premises, agree the access arrangements and collect your keys in person.
02
Secure off-site storage
Your keys are logged and stored securely off site, with access controlled and recorded at all times.
03
Scheduled lock and unlock
If agreed, a guard opens or secures your premises at set times, so opening and closing never depends on one member of staff.
04
Alarm activation response
When your alarm triggers, a local guard is dispatched to attend and assess the property, day or night.
05
Full property check
The guard inspects the perimeter and interior where accessible, checking for signs of forced entry or damage.
06
Report and follow-up
You receive a report of the callout, with any concerns flagged so you can decide on next steps.
Get your free Dulwich key holding quote
Send us your address or postcode, the type of building, when you need cover to start, your opening and closing hours, the number of entrances and what prompted the 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 Dulwich security services, retail security in Dulwich, CCTV monitoring in Dulwich, key holding in Herne Hill, key holding in Streatham, key holding in Peckham.