If you’re like most people, you probably keep your rental car keys in the same place as your house keys - on a ring or key chain. But there’s a good reason to separate the two: if your house is ever burglarized, the thief may be able to use your rental car key to get into your vehicle. Here’s how to keep rental car keys safe:

  1. Keep them in a secure place. If you’re using a ring or key chain, make sure the keys are hidden away from view and out of reach of children. If you’re using a wallet or purse, make sure the keys are stored inside an inner pocket and not on display outside the purse.
  2. Make copies of the key ring or key chain and store one copy at home and one copy with your rental company. This way, if something happens to your original set of keys (like they get lost), you can still access your vehicle.
  3. Never leave the rental car with just the key ring or key chain - always leave copies of both sets of keys with someone who can watch over them while you’re away. This includes the rental company representative who will be handing back your vehicle, as well as any valet staff who may be handling it while you’re out of town. ..