How Many People Know Your Gate Code? When Did You Last Change It?

Take a moment to think about who has been given your gate code over the past few years. The cleaner. The gardener. The pool technician. The builder who did the kitchen. A friend who house-sat. The estate agent who showed buyers through. Maybe a previous owner's code that was never changed when you bought the property.

Most people, when they actually think about it, realise they have no idea how many people have their gate code — or how many people those people may have shared it with.

Your front gate is the first layer of security on your property. If the code to open it is effectively public knowledge, that layer isn't doing much.

The problem with codes

Gate codes are convenient, and there's nothing wrong with them in principle. The problem is the way they're managed in practice — which is usually not managed at all.

When you give someone a code, you have no record of it. You can't see when they've used it. You can't limit it to certain hours. You can't revoke it without changing the code for everyone. And changing the code means contacting everyone who currently has access and giving them the new one — which almost no one bothers to do, so the old code stays active indefinitely.

Think about the last time a contractor left your property for the last time. Did you change the gate code? Almost certainly not. Their access — or anyone they gave the code to — is likely still active today.

What modern gate access looks like

A properly set up gate access system replaces the single shared code with individual access credentials — whether that's a unique code per person, a proximity card or fob, a phone-based credential, or licence plate recognition. Each person gets their own access method.

This changes the picture completely:

• You can see exactly when each person accessed the gate
• You can set time restrictions — a cleaner's access might only work on Tuesday mornings
• You can revoke one person's access instantly without affecting anyone else
• When a contractor finishes, you remove their access in seconds from your phone
• You receive a notification every time the gate is opened, with a log of who triggered it

Adding this to an existing gate

The good news is that modern access control systems can work with your existing gate motor and infrastructure in most cases. The control board, the safety beams, the motor itself — these typically don't need to be replaced. What gets added is a smart controller and, optionally, a camera for visual verification or licence plate recognition.

UniFi Access, which is what we install, manages all of this through the same app as your network and cameras. You can review who came and went, manage access permissions, and open the gate remotely — all from one place, from anywhere.

A simple first step

If you're not ready for a full system upgrade, the minimum worthwhile action is changing your gate code right now — and keeping a record of who you give the new one to. It doesn't solve the long-term problem, but it does reset the clock on the people who've accumulated access over the years.

The longer-term solution is a system where you never have to think about this again — because access is individual, logged, and fully in your control.