Biometric Key Control
Bringing Accountability to Key Management

Amissing key can create a large problem. In a multifamily property, it might open an apartment, a maintenance room or another restricted space. When it has not been returned, reconstructing what transpired with the key can become difficult.

That’s where Biometric Key Control comes into play. Its HandyTrac electronic key control system is designed to create accountability for key access, helping property-management teams address premises liability and poor record-keeping. For Ryan Keim, CEO of Biometric Key Control, those needs directly translate into the system’s value.

“Our system provides an audit trail of who took the key, when they took the key and if they’ve returned the key,” says Keim. “We’re helping them with their record keeping. We’re reducing their liability for the community, while also providing security for the residents as well.”

Knowing Who Has the Key

Users enter the system through biometrics, a badge or a PIN and select a reason for requesting a key. A leasing agent showing a vacant unit, for example, can record that purpose before the system directs the user to the appropriate key.

That creates a record of the transaction from the moment an authorized employee requests the key. Keys are attached to anonymous barcoded tags, and the system assigns a different hook when they are returned. Someone who gains access to the cabinet cannot easily identify a key by its label, while an employee attempting to bypass the process cannot rely on a memorized location.

The transactions are backed up online, allowing authorized managers and administrators to review activity by unit or employee and see which keys are out. For property managers, this provides a current view of key activity rather than requiring them to rely only on end-of-business checks or older printed reports.

The system’s online connection is also closed, with the system connecting directly to HandyTrac’s website rather than allowing access to other websites.

Extending Key Control beyond the Cabinet

The HandyTrac systems also offer app access, giving users another way to interact with the key-control system beyond the cabinet. Biometric Key Control is currently developing an in-field transfer feature that would allow users to identify keys in the field and hand them to another authorized user while maintaining continuity of the audit trail. The feature is still in development and is not currently live.

Our system provides an audit trail of who took the key, when they took the key and if they’ve returned the key.

The company is also focused on giving property managers control over who can access specific units. Administrators can restrict certain units to specific personnel or prevent particular employees from requesting keys to certain units. This adds another layer of control for organizations managing access across their properties.

The evolution reflects another requirement: the system has to work for the people using it. Maintenance personnel, leasing staff and managers may have different levels of comfort with technology. Ease of use, therefore, remains an important consideration in the system’s development. Live technical assistance is also available when customers need help.

Built for Scale and Value

After 25 years of selling HandyTrac systems, Biometric Key Control has about 22,000 customers and protects more than 6 million units. Its client base is growing by about 1,000 subscribers a year, including one year when it added roughly 2,500. The subscription also includes a comprehensive warranty covering the cabinet, lock and computerized components, including the touchscreen.

Value is another part of the company's offering. HandyTrac is positioned as one of the industry's lower-priced key-control systems while maintaining a focus on customer service.

As key control evolves, HandyTrac gives organizations a record of who accessed a key, when it was taken, why it was requested and whether it was returned. App access is available across the company's systems, while the planned in-field transfer capability is being developed to eventually extend that accountability beyond the cabinet.

That continuing focus on accountability, supported by decades of use, scale, reliability and customer service, is what makes Biometric Key Control the Electronic Key Control System of the Year for 2026.