Safety in a nutshell

At dormakaba, we do everything we can to make access smart and secure. With our dormakaba partners, we are proud to provide the best possible advice and reliable ways for you to access your personal space. Our certified partners will support you throughout our products’ entire life cycles. As we have a network of partners throughout Switzerland, you’ll easily find a dormakaba partner near you.

All dormakaba product-related sales activities are carried out indirectly by partners that we have certified personally. That is why dormakaba Schweiz AG is unable to accept direct orders, product returns or repairs of locking technology solutions from customers.

Keys and cylinders can be ordered from your local dormakaba partner. If you are a tenant, please contact your property manager or landlord, as only they are able to place orders.

Our dormakaba partners are there to support you with your orders and requests.

Find your dormakaba partner here.

Registering your locking system makes it secure

Registering the dormakaba (formerly Kaba) locking system and the keys associated with it ensures that duplicate key and cylinder orders can only be placed by authorised individuals. This means that the owner of the system has control over their locking system at all times.

Register your dormakaba locking system here.

A key ring may contain several keys that open many different doors. Maybe to the office, to recreation rooms or to private living quarters! This can be a serious problem depending on which key is lost. We have a guide to help you whatever the situation.

Who can I contact?

Frequently asked questions about key loss

Do I need to change the cylinder?

New door locks (cylinders) or locking systems aren’t always necessary. If the key cannot be positively associated with any property, the lock doesn’t usually need to be replaced.

Depending on how important the key is, in the case of mechanical locking systems, individual or all affected cylinders/keys must be replaced. With mechatronic or electronic locking systems, the missing key is deleted. For the sake of security, contact your dormakaba partner as soon as possible.

Find dormakaba partners near you here.

If you have lost your key along with personal documents, there is a risk of uninvited guests entering the apartment or shared rooms. The lock should be changed in this case.

Who pays for lost keys?

Normally, a lost key will have to be replaced at your own expense.
Household insurance: This normally only covers theft. It covers the cost of key replacement as well as a new door lock or the entire locking system.
Personal liability insurance: If you are responsible for the loss of the key yourself and the lock needs to be replaced, you should report the damage to your personal liability insurance company. If you have the appropriate coverage, they will usually cover the costs

Have you found a set of keys in a public space, in a public building or on public transport? Doing the right thing will save the owner a lot of trouble and time! Here’s what you should do:

Public transport/transport companies

Keys found on public transport vehicles, at stations or at stops can be handed in to staff or at the counter.
There is a list of participating transport companies at the SBB Lost Property Service.

Click here for the SBB Lost Property Service 

Lost and found office

If you have found something on public property (e.g. on the street), you can hand it in at the nearest lost and found office.

Click here to find your local lost and found office.

Police station

You can always hand in found keys at the nearest police station.

You can find your nearest police station here.

dormakaba Schweiz AG

You can send a dormakaba access medium (Kaba key*, badge, etc.) to the address opposite, stating where you found it. We will arrange for the key to be returned to its owner. Please note that we are unable to provide you with any information about the owner for security reasons.

dormakaba Schweiz AG, Fundschlüssel, Mühlebühlstrasse 23, 8620 Wetzikon

*Note: We are unable to return lost and found Kaba 8 keys to their owners because these locking systems are not registered.

Can’t find your keys?

• Don’t panic!
• Does anyone have a spare or emergency key? Perhaps friends, relatives, flatmates or the property agent?
• Can you access your home another way?

Finding a reputable locksmith

• Many dormakaba partners offer a key copying service. You can find dormakaba partners near you here.
• Contact the police. Many police stations have a list of reputable locksmiths available. 
• Search the internet for regional locksmith services.
• Note: The top search results may not be locksmith services near you. 
• The ‘Legal notice’ section of the provider’s website usually tells you where the company is based.
• Look for reviews of the locksmith online. Other people’s reviews can be very helpful.
• Reputable key copying services do not generally use telephone numbers starting with 0800 or 0900.
• Be on your guard if the person you are talking to does not speak one of Switzerland’s national languages. 
• Ask the company for its exact name while you are on the phone.
• Rogue locksmiths often only answer with something general like ‘handyman service’, ‘locksmith service’, etc. 
• Look for a price list on the provider’s website.
• Price
• Any reputable locksmith will tell you how much their service will cost over the phone. 
• Prices do of course vary, but you should be prepared to question prices that are noticeably high. 
• Surcharges are normally charged for work performed outside of office hours. 

Calling out your local locksmith 

• A reputable tradesman will ask you for ID. 
• Exercise caution if a locksmith suggests immediately drilling your door lock. This is unnecessary in most cases and leads to additional costs. 
• Do not pay on the spot. Request an invoice instead.

After calling out the locksmith 

• Report the lost keys to the landlord or the police. This will help ensure the security of the building. 
• You can request a detailed breakdown of costs.

Further links

Warning from the St. Gallen cantonal police about rogue locksmith services

Beobachter – tips on locksmith services

SRF Kassensturz Espresso programme [consumer magazine show on Swiss television] ‘What to do when you’re locked out’

SRF Kassensturz programme ‘Locksmith services: the German gangs ripping off Swiss customers’

Kaba star – security for your front door

A digital key opens the door to your home. Just like a conventional key, a digital key is a personalised key that cannot be copied. Digital keys are stored in the mobile access app. Transmission is end-to-end encrypted. Since the access credentials themselves are encrypted, the smartphone is unable to access them. So your smartphone turns into an access medium and can be used to unlock the door to your home.

In access management apps such as evolo smart or resivo, digital keys and access media can be deleted from the manager at any time. This ensures that no-one can gain access with a stolen smartphone. Are you a homeowner who has just lost your smartphone? Use the Master B programming card to reset and reprogram the digital door component at the front door.