
Imperial Security provides key holding and alarm response cover for homes and businesses across Hampstead, from period houses near the Heath to independent shops and offices around the High Street.
We hold keys securely, attend when an alarm activates, and manage lock-ups, openings and emergency access so owners and managers are never the ones who have to drop everything and drive over. Cover suits residents who travel frequently, estate and letting agents managing several addresses, and retail or office premises that close unattended overnight.
Hampstead's housing stock is a big part of what shapes demand here. Large parts of the area sit within conservation zones, and streets such as The Bishops Avenue are lined with substantial detached and gated properties, many left empty for long stretches while owners are abroad or between lets. That combination of high value and low occupancy is exactly the profile that benefits from a key holder who can respond quickly rather than a keyholder list that nobody actually answers.
On the commercial side, Hampstead High Street, Heath Street and the surrounding lanes are home to independent boutiques, cafes, galleries and salons, most of them small, owner-run and closed by early evening. These businesses rarely have in-house security staff, so when an alarm goes off after closing or a delivery needs supervising before opening, the job usually falls to whoever holds a spare key. We take that job on for both the houses and the shops, working to the same standard whichever type of property we're attending.

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 Hampstead Key Holding Service Provides
Whether you own a detached house off the Heath or run a shop on the High Street, the day-to-day tasks below cover most of what Hampstead clients ask us to handle.
Secure key storage
Keys for your Hampstead property are logged, tagged and stored in accordance with BS7984 at a controlled facility, never left in an unmarked cabinet or a guard's pocket between shifts.
Alarm activation response
When a monitored alarm triggers at your Hampstead address, a guard is dispatched to check the property, assess the cause and secure it before you're disturbed unnecessarily.
Scheduled openings and lock-ups
For High Street shops and offices, we open and lock premises to a set routine, checking doors, windows and stock rooms each time before we leave.
Emergency access for trades
When a plumber, glazier or alarm engineer needs letting into an empty Hampstead property, our guard attends, supervises access and secures the property again afterwards.
Vacant property checks
Empty houses near the Heath get regular walk-round checks so post doesn't pile up, pipes don't fail unnoticed and the property never looks obviously unattended.
Incident reporting
Every callout, however routine, is written up and sent to you the same day, so you always know exactly who attended, when and why.
| Who We Provide Key Holding For In Hampstead
Our Hampstead clients tend to fall into a handful of recognisable groups.
Homeowners who travel
Residents who spend long periods abroad or split time between a Hampstead house and a second home need someone who can respond to an alarm without waiting for a flight home.
Estate and letting agents
Agents managing several Hampstead addresses between tenancies need one point of contact for keys, viewings access and vacant-property checks, rather than juggling sets themselves.
Independent shop and cafe owners
High Street and Heath Street traders who close up and go home need someone else holding a key for the nights an alarm goes off or a delivery arrives before opening.
Offices and small practices
Surgeries, studios and small offices around Hampstead that empty out after hours still need a fast response if an alarm sounds or a door is found unsecured.
We also support residential blocks and managing agents in the area who need a single reliable contact for spare keys rather than relying on individual leaseholders.
| The Security Problems We Solve In Hampstead
Most of the calls we get from Hampstead come down to a small set of recurring situations, each with a straightforward fix once someone is actually attending to it.
Properties left empty for weeks at a time
A house standing empty near the Heath or off a quiet mews is easy to overlook until something goes wrong. We schedule regular checks so the property is looked at, not just left, and any issue is caught early rather than on the owner's return.
Out-of-hours alarms with no one available to attend
An alarm at 2am is no use if the only keyholder is a shop owner an hour's drive away. We attend in person, check the building and only escalate to the emergency services when there's genuine cause.
Trades access with nobody trusted to supervise it
Letting an engineer into an empty property unsupervised is a risk owners are often uncomfortable with. Our guard lets the trade in, stays on site for the visit and locks up again once the work is done.
Deliveries and openings that fall outside staff hours
Early deliveries to High Street shops often arrive before staff do. We take the delivery, secure it inside and hand over responsibility once the premises is properly open.
| Why Choose Imperial Security In Hampstead
Guards who know the area
Our guards learn Hampstead's layout, from the private roads off the Heath to the loading arrangements behind the High Street shops, so they can attend confidently without needing directions on the night.
We cover Hampstead and postcodes NW3 and NW6, alongside neighbouring Belsize Park, Swiss Cottage and Golders Green.
One point of contact, every time
You deal with the same key holding team throughout, not a rotating call centre, so there's continuity in how your property is handled and who's accountable for it.
Vetting, licensing and insurance
Every guard we place on a Hampstead 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 Hampstead Service Operates
01
Onboarding and key handover
We agree access protocols, authorised contacts and alarm codes, then take custody of your keys under a logged chain of receipt.
02
Secure storage
Keys are tagged and held at a controlled facility in line with BS7984, tracked so we always know exactly which keys are out and with whom.
03
Alarm signal received
Your monitoring provider alerts us the moment your Hampstead alarm activates, and we log the callout immediately.
04
Guard dispatched to site
A guard who knows Hampstead's roads and access points travels straight to the property rather than needing directions on arrival.
05
Assessment and securing
The guard checks doors, windows and access points, deals with the cause where it's safe to, and secures the property before leaving.
06
Report sent to you
You receive a written record of the callout the same day, including any follow-up action needed on your side.
Get your free Hampstead key holding quote
Send us your address or postcode, the type of property, when you'd like cover to start, the hours involved, how many entrances or access points there are, and what's 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 Hampstead security services, close protection bodyguards in Hampstead, CCTV monitoring in Hampstead, key holding in Belsize Park, key holding in Swiss Cottage, key holding in Golders Green.












