Managing Property Access, Keys and Security During a Sale Campaign

Create one access plan before suppliers arrive

Access begins before the first buyer inspection. Photographers, floorplan technicians, stylists, cleaners, tradespeople, the agent and the seller may all need to enter at different times. A written access plan should name the person who approves appointments, the authorised key holders, how arrival and departure are recorded, which areas are excluded and who confirms that the property is secure afterwards.

The plan should fit the property. An apartment may require building access, lift booking and owners corporation instructions. A house may have side gates, sheds, a pool area or separate accommodation. A smart lock, alarm, garage remote or gate code can create extra credentials that need the same discipline as a physical key. Avoid circulating codes in broad message groups or leaving unlabelled keys where a visitor can see them.

• Keep a current key and credential register.
• Use appointment windows and named contacts for suppliers.
• Record any room or area that must not be entered.
• Agree who performs the final lock, window, light and alarm check.

Prepare an occupied home for public inspections

Consumer Affairs Victoria advises sellers to hide personal items they do not want the public to see and lock valuables away. Extend that check to passports, financial papers, prescription medicines, spare keys, mail, family calendars, school information, device screens and photographs that disclose routines. A tidy drawer is not secure storage. Remove high-risk items from the property or place them in an appropriately secured location before photography and inspections begin.

Walk through the home from a visitor's point of view. Check cabinets or doors that should remain locked, fragile collections, tools, wine storage, accessible car keys and any item that could identify another address. Marketing images remain online and can be copied, so the privacy check must happen before the camera arrives, not only before the open home. Property features should still be represented accurately; security is not a reason to conceal a material fact or mislead a buyer.

Set clear inspection entry and supervision rules

A seller can make proof of identity and contact details a condition of entry to an open house, although Consumer Affairs Victoria notes that visitors are not otherwise legally required to leave those details. The agent should explain the proposed registration process, privacy handling, staffing and movement through the home. For a large property or a home with multiple levels, one person at the door may not provide practical oversight of every area.

Agree whether doors such as garages, workshops or storage rooms will be opened only on request, how private inspections are confirmed and how children attending with adults are managed. At the end of each inspection, the agent should check the agreed areas, confirm that all visitors have left and report any incident promptly. These steps reduce avoidable exposure; they are not a guarantee against theft, damage or other events.

• Match staffing and access boundaries to the property's layout.
• Do not leave an inspection running after the responsible person departs.
• Have a simple escalation path for a missing item, damage or alarm event.

Plan separately for pets, occupants and daily routines

Pets should not be managed at the last minute. Decide whether they will leave the property, remain in a securely closed area or stay with a responsible person. Remove bowls, medication and identifying tags from marketing photographs where appropriate, and tell the agent about gates or doors that must never be left open. Buyers should not be asked to supervise an animal while inspecting.

Occupants also need a predictable timetable. Share appointment windows, supplier visits and inspection times through one agreed channel. If a family member works from home or someone has mobility, health or privacy requirements, design access around that reality. The goal is not to make the property look unoccupied at all times; it is to create a consistent handover so that a person, key or alarm state is not overlooked.

What changes for a vacant property?

Vacancy can simplify presentation but increase other risks. Ask the insurer what notification, inspection, occupancy and security conditions apply to the specific policy. Do not assume ordinary cover continues unchanged. Arrange regular condition checks, mail and bin management, garden care, leak and storm checks, and a named response contact. Avoid public copy that unnecessarily announces extended vacancy.

Control contractor keys and temporary codes, keep utilities in the state needed for safe inspections and make sure alarms are not disabled merely for convenience. A final campaign appointment should include a physical security check, not only a message that the job is complete. No checklist can promise security, and building, electrical, gas or insurance questions should be referred to the relevant qualified provider.

• Confirm property-specific insurance requirements in writing.
• Set a documented inspection and maintenance rhythm.
• Change temporary access credentials when a supplier's work ends.

Tenanted properties require a different campaign plan

A renter's home is not managed like a vacant listing. Victorian rules govern notice, entry times, frequency and duration of sales inspections, compensation, reasonable efforts to agree on times, and circumstances in which a renter can object to advertising photographs or video. Consumer Affairs Victoria states that a renter must be given the prescribed notice of intention to sell before buyer inspections begin and sets specific limits unless different arrangements are agreed.

Use the current Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance and prescribed forms rather than copying an owner-occupied access calendar. Coordinate the rental provider, sales agent, property manager and renter through one documented plan. A renter may remain at the property during an inspection, and protected-person rules may require inspections by appointment. Obtain advice about any disputed access issue instead of attempting to solve it through a generic campaign checklist.