It depends on the parent. You should only give a key to someone who will respect your privacy and property. If this doesn't describe your parents, then they shouldn't have a key.

Im 25 and feel the same way, i refuse to give my mother the key to my apartment, even though we live in the same building, different floors. It worked for about 2 years and then a few months ago she went to the rental office to get my key cause she needed something out my house and i was out of town, and she has yet to give them that key back. (doesnt help that her sister is the leasing manager). She swears she wont use it unless i tell her too, but there are still times when she'll call and be like "im going in" and thats all i get. I dont complain cause i have a child, who my mother watches at times and it makes it easy for her to go there to get things for the baby, but it still irks me, and has me paranoid as well. But again, if it makes her more comfortable watching my child so i can go out then so be it.

But i say to you that NO your parents DO NOT NEED A KEY, its fine for you to have the key to their house, but they dont need the key to yours!!!

It depends on the situation. However, I think it's perfectly okay for you not to give her a key. Your history is half of the reason. The other half is that you actually do have a superintendent for emergencies. If you had your own house without a building manager though, one option would be to give a key to your neighbor. If your parents really needed to get into your home, they could contact and convince the neighbor (prepare the neighbor for this in advance).

It's your home you don't have to give anyone a key that you don't want to have one. I, on the other hand don't mind that my parents have a key to my house as well as a spare to my car. I don't feel like they'd use either unless they needed to and I've always thought it was a good idea for someone else to have copies.

One scenario where it could be beneficial is if I lock my keys in the car. Doesn't make sense to have copies of the keys in the house if my house key is in the car with the car key. I could easily get the spare from my parents. Probably not necessary for people with significant others though and I certainly understand how it could be intrusive for some.

I have gone round and round with my own mother about this. I am 29 years old and have been living on my own and paying my own rent for more than 6 years. When I first got my own place, it seemed like a no-brainer to let my mother have a key. The older I have gotten, however, the less I want her to have such easy access to my home. I have caught her snooping before, and she always wants to know everything, no matter how small the detail. So as I have come to prize my privacy more, I have tried to create more boundaries, which has not gone over well.

When I moved in with my boyfriend a year ago, I took the opportunity to not give my mother a key. I told her that I would share one with her as needed, if she was going to be visiting or something along those lines. She did not react well, but over the the past year we have managed to reach an equitable understanding - one in which she does not have a key.

I will say that we tend to run into issues when I ask her to do something for me (e.g. take care of the dog). It ends with her asking again about getting her own key. I think if I was asking her to do things for me on a more regular basis, I would have to give her a key, if for no other reason than avoiding that conversation. I do think that if you have expectations of regular assistance from your parent, you need to provide them with the means to perform that assistance.

Your mother has absolutely no right to a key to your apartment, and under the circumstances (a history of snooping) I sure wouldn't offer her one! It never hurts to leave a key with a trusted friend or family member with the understanding that it would be used only in an emergency, but you know you are going to be so sorry if you give into her demands.

If your mother had a valid reason to have a key, that would be another story. For instance, if you had pets that would need looking after if you became hospitalized or went on vacation, or if she was babysitting your kids in your home (which apparently she isn't), you'd want them to be able to get lock the apartment if they left and get back in.

But at your age, you don't need your mom snooping around any longer. If it comes down to it, tell her the real reason why you won't give her a key. I have a feeling she probably already knows the real reason, anyway.

I think that it is a good idea becuase if you get locked out then you can call them to let you in and it is a lot safer then leaving it under a rock as that is just an easy invite for burglers but on the other hand you could have nosey parents or parents that just lt themselves in and thats not good, my mum has a key and never lets herlself in but my dad is really bad and is always letting himself in where i bolt the doors to stop him coming in, last week him let himself in and i was asleep on the sofa and he scared the life out of me so i would say only give your keys to them if you know they wont let themselves anytime they like.

As the mother of a 23 year old son who is now living back at home, we did have a key to his apartment when he moved out - same town, but several miles away. We only went over after we called to make sure he was home and we only used the key twice when he locked himself out and none of his roommates were home. (I was frankly nervous about what I might find so NEVER just popped in.) However, when he finally moves out again (after finishing up college) I neither want nor expect to have a key, especially if he is several hours or states away from us.

The idea of the extra key is to have a way to get into your home if you lose or lock you key somewhere and you need to get in quickly. Being 2 hours away is not "quickly". Since it takes time and planning to drive to see you she should always let you know when she is coming so there is no need for her to have a key.

No one, including a parent, ever has a need to get into someone elses home when they are not there. If you have a pet that might need to be fed or watered or walked if you work late then you want someone living close to you - the super, next door neighbor or very best friend to be able to get in in a hurry to help out. If you don't have a pet then you know that you can always get the super to let you in and I wouldn't give anyone else a key.

I guess I can sum this up by saying that a parent could be given a key if they are your backup for a lost or locked in key, but if they live too far away or have a history of snooping and/or not giving you notice that they are coming over then they definitely should not be given a key. You aren't living under your mother's roof any longer, this is your home and you get to make the rules.

I think parents should have a key to their adult children's homes but only to use in case of emergency. They should not be entering your home whenever they feel like it. However, it's handy in case you loose your key, you know they always have a spare key.

Right, I would not supply the key to anyone whom had no reason to be there, in an apartment building the super could let her in in case of an emergency.

My parents have always had a key to my home, but they are less than 10 miles away. They have a key to my house and to my siblings houses. The reason is simple, if one of us should lose the key to our house we can call our parents who will come to the rescue with our keys so we do not have to break in. A key to a family member is also good when the occupants go on an extended vacation, so the plants are watered and pets are fed etc.