TL;DR
A guest door code for a service visit should be set up four ways: named so the log is readable, limited to the visit day and hours, given an expiry date, and reviewed in the access log afterward. The whole setup takes about ten minutes and it is what turns a shared code into a controlled credential.
Why Not Just Share Your Own Code?
Sharing your own code means you cannot revoke access without changing the code for everyone, and the log shows entries you cannot attribute. It also means the code travels: shared once, it can be written down, passed to a substitute, or kept after the arrangement ends.
A dedicated code costs nothing and fixes all of that. Most keypad locks support several codes, and many support far more than a household will ever use.
The same logic applies to alarm panels, garage keypads, and gate systems. Anywhere a system supports multiple credentials, use a separate one per party.
Step 1: Name the Code So the Log Is Readable
Give the code a label in the lock application, and make the label specific enough to be useful in six months. Something like "cleaning service" is fine. Something like "code 3" is not.
If the company sends the same crew, ask whether individual codes are workable and label them by role rather than by personal detail. If the crew rotates, a single service code with a clear label is usually the practical compromise.
Write the label and the code into your own household record too, alongside the rest of the access terms agreed under hiring a cleaning service. A code nobody has documented is a code nobody will remember to remove.
Step 2: Limit It to the Visit Day and Hours
Most modern keypad locks support scheduled codes, which work only inside a defined window. Set the window to the visit day and a generous margin around the arrival window, because arrival windows move.
A common pattern is a recurring weekly or biweekly schedule covering a block of several hours on the visit day. That leaves the code inert for the rest of the week, which is a meaningful improvement over a permanent code that nobody thinks about again.
If your lock does not support scheduling, the code stays permanent until you delete it, and that is a reason to review it more often. It also strengthens the case for the comparison in lockbox compared with a smart lock, since scheduling is the feature that most separates the two.
Source: residential smart lock manufacturer setup documentation
Step 3: Set an Expiry Date
Give the code an end date even for an open-ended arrangement. Six months is a reasonable interval. When it expires you either renew it deliberately or you discover you no longer needed it.
Expiry dates solve the problem nobody plans for: a service that quietly stops without a formal ending. Codes issued and forgotten are the most common form of stale access in a home, and an expiry turns forgetting into a safe default rather than an open door.
Where the lock has no expiry feature, put a calendar reminder in its place. The reminder does the same job with one extra step.
What Makes a Good Guest Code?
A good guest code is at least six digits where the lock allows it, avoids repeated or sequential digits, and is not a house number, a street number, a birth year, or the last four digits of a phone number. It should also be different from every other code in the home, including the alarm panel and the garage keypad.
Change it if it is ever exposed, and change it on any staff change the company tells you about. Rotating a code costs nothing and takes a minute.
One more habit that matters more than the digits: clean the keypad occasionally. Worn or smudged keys on a touch panel narrow the guessing space considerably for anyone paying attention.
Step 4: Review the Access Log
Check the log after the first few visits, then occasionally after that. You are looking for two things: entries at times that match the schedule, and no entries at times that do not.
A single unexpected entry is usually explainable, such as a crew arriving early or a return trip for a forgotten item. A pattern of unexpected entries is a conversation with the company.
If the log shows nothing at all on a visit day when the home was cleaned, the crew probably used another door, which is worth knowing. Garage entry in particular often bypasses the front lock entirely, and that path has its own considerations in garage keypad access.
Backups, Failures, and the Day It Does Not Work
Keypad locks fail in predictable ways: dead batteries, a firmware update at an awkward moment, or a network outage that stops a remote code change from taking effect. Plan for all three before they happen.
Keep fresh batteries and change them on a schedule rather than on a warning. Keep a mechanical override key off site, with a neighbor or family member, so a dead lock never becomes a locksmith call. And confirm code changes at the lock rather than only in the application, because a change queued for a lock that is offline has not happened yet.
Tell the company what to do if the code fails. A named contact and a fallback instruction turns a failed entry into a phone call rather than a lockout charge.
When the Service Ends
Delete the code yourself the same week, then check the log to confirm it is gone. Do not rely on anyone else stopping using it, and do not leave it in place because you might restart the service later.
Do the same for the alarm code, the garage keypad, and any building vendor list. The full closing sequence is in returning keys and codes when service ends.
Households setting up new recurring house cleaning services can reuse this whole setup in about ten minutes, which is a small price for access you can prove and revoke.
FAQ
How do I give a house cleaner a door code?
Create a dedicated guest code in the lock application rather than sharing your own, label it clearly so the access log is readable, limit it to the visit day and hours if the lock supports scheduling, and set an expiry date or a calendar reminder to review it.
Should a cleaner have a permanent door code?
Preferably not. A scheduled code that works only on visit days is inert the rest of the week and gives the same convenience. Where scheduling is unavailable, use a dedicated permanent code with an expiry reminder and review the access log periodically.
What is a safe door code to use?
Six digits or more where the lock allows, avoiding repeated or sequential digits, house or street numbers, birth years, and the last four digits of a phone number. Make it different from every other code in the home, including the alarm panel and garage keypad.
Can I see when my cleaner entered the house?
Yes, on most keypad and smart locks, which keep a timestamped access log by code. That is the main advantage over a lockbox. Check it after the first few visits, and look for entries that match the schedule and none that do not.
What happens if the door code does not work on cleaning day?
The crew cannot get in, and most agreements treat that as a lockout with a stated fee. Give the company a named contact and a fallback instruction in advance, keep the lock batteries fresh, and confirm any code change at the lock rather than only in the application.
How often should I change the code for a service?
Change it whenever it may have been exposed, on any staff change the company reports, and on a routine interval such as every six months. Rotating a code takes a minute and costs nothing, which makes it the cheapest security habit in the house.
Name it, schedule it, expire it, and check the log. Every home is different, so the real number depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote and we will walk you through it.