Key holding terms

Key Holding and Property Services Terms and Conditions

These terms apply to the key holding and property services provided by K C's Hardware SL, trading as KC's Paint, Hardware & Hire. Please read them carefully. When you sign our Registration Form, or pay your first annual fee, you are agreeing to these terms.

1. About us

K C's Hardware SL is a limited company registered in Spain.

• Office: Local 14, Al Kasar Commercial Centre, Condado de Alhama, 30849 Murcia, Spain
• Telephone and WhatsApp: +34 603 193 014
• Email: kcshardware@outlook.com
• Out-of-hours emergency line: +34 603 193 014 (24 hours a day, see section 9)
• Office hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 16:00 (closed Sundays and public holidays)

2. Definitions

In these terms, these words have the following meanings:

• "We", "us", "our" and "KC's" mean K C's Hardware SL.
• "You", "your" and "the Customer" mean the person or people named on the Registration Form as the owner, or as the person acting with the owner's authority.
• "Property" means the property named on the Registration Form, including any garden, terrace, pool, garage, storeroom and parking space that belongs to it.
• "Registration Form" means our form on which you give us your details, the details of the Property, your chosen Package and your list of Authorised Persons.
• "Package" means the Gold, Silver or Bronze key holding package described in section 5.
• "Annual Fee" means the yearly price of your Package.
• "Service Year" means the 12 months starting on the date we receive your first Annual Fee, and each following 12-month period.
• "Keys" means all keys, fobs, remote controls, gate openers, cards and similar items for the Property that you give us.
• "Authorised Person" means a person you have named, in writing, as allowed to collect Keys or to give us instructions about the Property.
• "Check" means a routine visit to the Property as part of your Package.
• "Emergency" means a situation at the Property that needs urgent action to prevent or limit damage, loss or danger, such as a water leak, flood, fire, storm damage, break-in, a door or window left open, or a power failure affecting a fridge or freezer.
• "Extra Services" means any service that is not included in your Package, such as cleaning, laundry, jet washing, baby equipment hire, mobility scooter hire, welcome packs and maintenance work.
• "Price List" means our current list of prices for Extra Services, available in our office, on our website and on request.
• "Trades" means plumbers, electricians, pool engineers, gardeners, delivery drivers and any other contractors or suppliers who need access to the Property.
• "AMBER warning" means an orange-level (aviso naranja) weather warning issued by AEMET, Spain's state weather agency, for the area that includes the Property. A red warning (aviso rojo) is treated the same way.
• "Writing" and "written" include email and WhatsApp messages.

3. Your appointment of us and your authority

3.1 By signing the Registration Form, you appoint us to hold the Keys and provide the services in your Package, and any Extra Services you order, under these terms.

3.2 You confirm that you are the owner of the Property, or that you have the owner's permission to appoint us. If there is more than one owner, you confirm that you are acting with the agreement of all of them. We may ask for reasonable proof, such as a copy of the escritura, a recent IBI receipt, or a letter of authority from the owner.

3.3 If you are appointing us on behalf of someone else (for example, a family member or a company), you are personally responsible for making sure they agree to these terms.

3.4 You authorise us to enter the Property to carry out Checks, to provide services you have ordered, to let in Trades you have approved, and in an Emergency.

3.5 If we have reason to think a person giving us instructions does not have authority to do so, we may refuse to act until we have confirmed it with you.

4. Your contract with us

4.1 Our contract with you starts when we receive your signed Registration Form and your first Annual Fee, and we have received the Keys.

4.2 Right to withdraw. If you are a consumer and you sign up with us at a distance (for example by email, WhatsApp or online) or away from our office (for example at your Property), Spanish consumer law (Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2007, TRLGDCU) gives you the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days of the contract starting, without giving any reason. To withdraw, tell us clearly in writing, by email to kcshardware@outlook.com or by post or in person at our office. You may use the model withdrawal form we supply with your Registration Form, but you do not have to. We will refund all payments received from you within 14 days of receiving your notice, using the same payment method you used unless you agree otherwise. If you have asked us to start the service during the 14-day period, we may keep an amount proportionate to the service already provided up to the time you told us you were withdrawing.

4.3 Your Package runs for one Service Year. It renews automatically for a further Service Year unless you or we give notice under section 17. We will remind you by email or WhatsApp at least 30 days before your renewal date. You can stop your Package renewing simply by telling us in writing, as set out in section 17.2.

5. Our Packages

5.1 We offer three Packages. All prices are for one Service Year and include IVA at the current rate (21%).

Gold: €300 per year

• Fortnightly Checks (about every two weeks)
• Receiving and storing parcels and deliveries for you, and taking them to the Property
• A yearly inventory of the contents of the Property

Silver: €210 per year

• Fortnightly Checks
• Receiving and storing parcels and deliveries for you, and taking them to the Property

Bronze: €150 per year

• Monthly Checks

5.2 All Packages include:

• Testing the utilities on each Check (water, electricity and, where fitted, gas and hot water), as set out in section 7
• A security check of the Property on each Check
• Storm Checks during or after an AMBER warning, as set out in section 10
• Storage of your Keys in a secure, alarmed and monitored key safe
• Supervising Trades at the Property, as set out in section 11
• A photo report sent to you by WhatsApp after each Check

5.3 We will try to spread Checks evenly through the year, but the exact day and time of each Check is up to us. If the Property is occupied when a Check is due (by you, your guests or tenants), we may skip that Check or move it to a later date. A Check skipped for this reason does not give you a right to a refund.

5.4 You can move up to a higher Package at any time by paying the difference for the rest of the Service Year, worked out pro rata. You can move to a lower Package from your next renewal date.

6. Fees and payment

6.1 The Annual Fee is paid in full and in advance, before the start of each Service Year.

6.2 You can pay by bank transfer to our Spanish bank account, by card, or in cash at our office. Cash payments are accepted only up to the legal limit (currently less than €1,000 per transaction). Any bank charges for payments from outside Spain are your responsibility.

6.3 We will give you a proper invoice (factura) for every payment.

6.4 Extra Services are charged at the rates on our Price List at the time you order them, unless we have given you a different written quote. We will normally invoice Extra Services after they are done. Payment is due within 14 days of the invoice date. For larger jobs, or materials ordered specially for you, we may ask for a deposit or for payment in advance.

6.5 If you pay late, we may:

• send you a reminder;
• after 14 days, stop providing Extra Services and Checks until you have paid (we will keep your Keys safe and will still respond to a genuine Emergency where we can, and charge for it);
• charge interest on the overdue amount at the legal rate of interest (interés legal del dinero) or, if you are a business customer, at the rate set by Ley 3/2004 on late payment; and
• recover our reasonable, documented costs of collecting the debt, where the law allows.

6.6 If an invoice remains unpaid for more than 60 days after we have reminded you in writing, we may end the contract under section 17.4.

6.7 We may change our Annual Fees and our Price List. Any change to the Annual Fee will only apply from your next renewal date, and we will tell you at least 30 days before. If you do not accept the new price, you may cancel before the renewal date with no charge. Price List changes apply to Extra Services ordered after the change.

6.8 Our Annual Fee covers the services in your Package only. It does not include materials, replacement parts, Trades' charges, call-out charges for non-Emergency visits outside your Package, or Extra Services.

7. What a Check includes, and what it does not

7.1 On each Check we will, where safe and reasonably possible:

• check the outside of the Property, including doors, windows, shutters, gates and boundary walls, for signs of damage or attempted entry;
• check inside the Property for signs of leaks, damp, mould, pests, break-in or other obvious problems;
• check that doors, windows and shutters are closed and locked;
• run the taps and flush the toilets, and check for obvious leaks;
• check that the electricity is on, the fuse board has not tripped, and the fridge and freezer (if left on) are working;
• check the water heater and, where fitted, air conditioning, as far as switching them on and seeing that they work;
• air the Property when the weather allows;
• collect and bring inside any post or flyers left at the Property; and
• take photos and send you a WhatsApp report.

7.2 A Check is a visual inspection by a person who is not a surveyor, plumber or electrician. It is not a building survey, a structural survey, a safety test or a certificate. We will not lift floors, move heavy furniture, climb onto roofs, or open up walls, ceilings, electrical panels or appliances. We cannot promise to find hidden faults or problems that are not reasonably visible on the day.

7.3 We will report anything we find and, where appropriate, recommend what should be done. Apart from in an Emergency (section 9), we will not arrange repairs or spend money without your approval.

7.4 We do not check pools for water quality, test gas installations for safety, or inspect solar panels, roofs or lifts, unless you order this as an Extra Service.

8. Keys

8.1 You must give us at least one complete set of Keys that opens every lock we need, including community gates, garages, storerooms and pool areas. We recommend two sets. We may refuse to start the service until we have working Keys.

8.2 We will keep your Keys in a secure, alarmed and monitored key safe. Your Keys will be labelled with a code only. We will never put your name or the Property address on the Key tag. The record linking the code to the Property is kept separately and securely.

8.3 We will only release Keys:

• to you;
• to an Authorised Person named on your Registration Form, or added later by you in writing; or
• to another person (for example, a Trade or a guest) if you have told us in writing beforehand who they are, when they will collect, and why.

8.4 Anyone collecting Keys must show valid photo identification (passport, DNI, NIE card or driving licence). We may refuse to release Keys if we are not satisfied about the person's identity or authority, and we will not be responsible for any delay this causes.

8.5 Keys are released and returned at our office during office hours. Releasing Keys outside office hours, or delivering them to the Property, is an Extra Service and is charged unless it is an Emergency we are attending.

8.6 We keep a record of every time Keys leave and return to our key safe, including who took them. You may ask for a copy of this record.

8.7 If someone you have authorised does not return Keys, we will tell you, but we are not responsible for Keys held by people you have authorised. You may need to change the locks at your own cost.

8.8 Alarm codes. Please do not write alarm codes, safe codes or key safe codes on the Registration Form or on any other form. If we need an alarm code to do our job, please give it to us by phone or in person, or by another secure method we agree with you. We will keep any code we are given confidential and will not write it down with the Property address.

8.9 Please tell us straight away if you change the locks, the alarm code or the alarm company, and give us new Keys where needed.

9. Emergencies and emergency access

9.1 You can contact our out-of-hours emergency line, +34 603 193 014, 24 hours a day, every day.

9.2 Our staff live on site at Condado de Alhama. For Emergencies at Properties on the Condado de Alhama resort, we aim to attend within 15 minutes of your call. This is a target, not a guarantee. Travel time to Properties elsewhere will be longer, and response times may be affected by weather, road conditions, staff safety or other Emergencies we are attending.

9.3 In an Emergency, you authorise us to enter the Property and take any reasonable steps we think are needed to protect the Property, its contents or other people, even if we cannot reach you first. This can include turning off water, electricity or gas, calling the emergency services, calling out an emergency Trade, and arranging temporary repairs or boarding up. We will try to contact you before we act, and we will always tell you what we did as soon as we can.

9.4 You agree to pay for reasonable emergency costs, including Trades and materials. Unless you have agreed a different limit with us in writing, we will not spend more than €300 (including IVA) on any one Emergency without your approval, unless the emergency services tell us otherwise or there is a serious and immediate risk to people or property.

9.5 Emergency attendances that are not part of a Check are charged at the call-out rate on our Price List, unless the Emergency was caused by our own fault.

9.6 Security and alarms. If we are the nominated key holder for your alarm, we will attend when called by you or your alarm company, so that the Property can be opened, checked and re-secured. We are not a security company. We do not provide guarding, alarm monitoring, alarm verification or alarm response services, and our staff will not enter a Property or confront anyone where they believe there may be an intruder or other danger. In that case we will call the police (112) and wait for them.

10. Storm checks

10.1 When AEMET issues an AMBER (orange) or RED warning for rain, storms, wind or flooding covering the Property's area, we will check the outside of the Property and, where safe, the inside, as soon as it is reasonably safe to do so, during or after the warning period.

10.2 A storm check looks for water coming in, blocked drains or gutters that are easy to reach, flooding, loose or fallen items, broken windows or shutters, and damage to awnings, fences or furniture. We will send you a photo report.

10.3 The safety of our staff comes first. We will not travel or work in conditions we consider dangerous, or when the authorities advise people not to travel. During widespread storms many Properties will need checking, so we will deal with them in the order we think is most sensible.

10.4 Before any storm, we recommend you leave the Property with terrace furniture stored or tied down, awnings closed, drains clear and shutters down. We may do this for you as an Extra Service.

10.5 Storm checks are included in all Packages. Any clean-up, repairs or emergency work found to be needed is charged separately under section 9 or section 12.

11. Supervising Trades

11.1 Where you have arranged for a Trade to visit, we will meet them at the Property, let them in, keep an eye on the work in general terms, and lock up afterwards. Please tell us in writing at least 48 hours before, including who is coming, when, and what they are doing.

11.2 Supervising Trades means providing access and a general overview. It does not mean checking the quality of the work, checking that the Trade is qualified, licensed or insured, or managing the job, unless we have agreed this with you in writing. The Trade's contract is between you and them.

11.3 Supervision is included in your Package for up to 1 hour per visit and 1 visit per month. Waiting time beyond this, further visits in the same month, visits when the Trade does not turn up, and any visits outside office hours are charged at the rate on our Price List.

12. Extra Services and maintenance

12.1 We also offer Extra Services, including cleaning, laundry, jet washing, baby equipment hire, mobility scooter hire, welcome packs and general maintenance. These are not included in any Package and are charged at the rates on our Price List.

12.2 For maintenance and repair work, we will give you a quote and get your agreement before we start (apart from in an Emergency, section 9). The quote will say what we will do and the price. If we find, once we start, that more work is needed, we will contact you before doing it.

12.3 Hire items (such as baby equipment and mobility scooters) are supplied under our separate hire terms, available from our office and on our website, which you or your guests will need to accept at the time of hire.

12.4 Cancelling Extra Services. If you cancel a booked Extra Service less than 24 hours before it is due, or our staff cannot get in when they arrive, we may charge 50% of the price. Welcome packs and specially ordered items cannot be refunded once bought.

13. Third-party contractors

13.1 Sometimes we will use other businesses or self-employed people to carry out work for you. Where we arrange them, we will use contractors we believe to be reliable and suitably qualified for the job.

13.2 Where a contractor is engaged in your name, or you have chosen them, your contract for that work is with the contractor, and they are responsible for their own work. If we engage the contractor in our own name and invoice you for their work, we are responsible for it under section 15, as well as them.

13.3 We may add a handling or admin charge to contractors' invoices that we arrange and pay on your behalf, as shown on our Price List or quote.

14. Your responsibilities

You agree to:

• give us complete and correct information on the Registration Form, and tell us within 7 days in writing of any change, including your contact details, your Authorised Persons, the alarm company and your insurance details;
• keep your list of Authorised Persons up to date. Removing someone from the list takes effect when we receive your written instruction;
• keep the Property, its contents and its use (including any holiday letting) properly insured with a recognised insurer, and tell us any conditions in your policy that affect us, such as rules on checks during long absences or turning off the water;
• keep the water and electricity supplies connected and paid for, so we can carry out Checks. If a supply is cut off, we cannot test it;
• keep the Property in a safe condition for our staff and Trades to enter, and tell us of any known hazards, such as faulty wiring, asbestos, unsafe steps, a broken balcony rail, or animals at the Property;
• make sure all appliances, boilers, gas installations, pools and electrical systems are properly installed and regularly serviced;
• not leave cash, jewellery or other high-value items at the Property, and to tell us about anything unusually valuable that is kept there;
• answer our messages and give us instructions within a reasonable time, especially when we report a problem; and
• if you let the Property, hold any licence or registration needed (for example, registration as a vivienda de uso turístico in the Region of Murcia) and meet your legal obligations, including guest registration.

15. Our responsibility to you, and its limits

15.1 We will provide our services with reasonable care and skill, and in line with these terms.

15.2 We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking these terms or of our failing to use reasonable care and skill. Loss or damage is foreseeable if it is obvious that it will happen, or if we both knew it might happen when the contract was made.

15.3 We are not responsible for:

• defects, wear and tear or damage that existed before we took on the Property, or that was not reasonably visible on a Check;
• hidden (latent) defects, such as faults inside walls, under floors, in roofs, in pipework, drains or wiring, or in the structure of the building;
• damage caused by the normal ageing or failure of appliances, systems or materials;
• the acts or omissions of you, your guests, tenants, Authorised Persons, Trades you have chosen, community administrators, utility companies, alarm companies, or other third parties we do not control;
• theft, burglary, vandalism or squatting (ocupación) at the Property, unless it is caused by our fault, for example by our leaving the Property unlocked or losing Keys in a way that can be linked to the Property;
• loss or damage that happens between Checks and that we could not reasonably have known about;
• loss or damage caused by your not following our recommendations or not giving us instructions in time;
• loss of rental income, loss of business, or other indirect losses, where you use the Property for business; or
• anything caused by events outside our reasonable control (section 15.5).

15.4 Apart from as set out in section 15.6, our total liability to you for all claims arising in any one Service Year is limited to the greater of the Annual Fee you paid for that Service Year or €1,000.

15.5 Events outside our control. We are not responsible for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control, including extreme weather, flooding, fire, earthquakes, epidemics, strikes, road closures, power or communication failures, government action, or the illness or injury of our staff. If this happens, we will tell you and do what we reasonably can to continue the service. If the problem lasts more than 30 days, either of us may end the contract, and we will refund any part of the Annual Fee for services not provided.

15.6 Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, for wilful misconduct or gross negligence (dolo o culpa grave), or for anything else that cannot be limited or excluded under Spanish law. Nothing in these terms affects your legal rights as a consumer.

15.7 Please tell us about any loss or damage you believe we have caused as soon as reasonably possible, so we can investigate and limit it.

16. Lost or damaged Keys

16.1 If we lose or damage your Keys while they are in our care, we will tell you straight away and pay the reasonable cost of replacing the Keys. If the lost Keys can be linked to the Property (for example, they are lost together with the record showing the address), we will also pay the reasonable cost of changing the affected locks.

16.2 We are not responsible for Keys lost or damaged while held by you, your Authorised Persons, guests or Trades, or for Keys that fail through wear or a fault in the lock. If we need to call out a locksmith because Keys you supplied do not work, this will be charged to you.

16.3 You must give us a replacement set if Keys are taken out of our care and not returned.

17. Cancellation, ending the contract, and returning Keys

17.1 You may cancel your Package at any time by telling us in writing. If you cancel after the 14-day withdrawal period (see section 4.2), we will refund the part of the Annual Fee for any whole months remaining in the Service Year, less any amounts you owe us.

17.2 To stop your Package renewing, tell us in writing at least 14 days before the renewal date. If we have not received this and have charged the renewal fee, but you cancel within 14 days of the renewal date and no Check has taken place in the new Service Year, we will refund the renewal fee.

17.3 We may end the contract at any time by giving you at least 30 days' written notice. We will refund the part of the Annual Fee for any whole months remaining.

17.4 We may end the contract straight away by written notice if:

• you have not paid an amount due, 60 days after we reminded you in writing;
• you seriously or repeatedly break these terms;
• we discover you did not have authority to appoint us;
• you, your guests or tenants are abusive or threatening to our staff; or
• the Property is unsafe for our staff to enter and you do not fix the problem.

In these cases no refund is due.

17.5 Return of Keys. When the contract ends, we will return your Keys to you, or to an Authorised Person you name in writing, at our office, after they have shown valid photo identification. If money is owed to us, we may hold the Keys until it has been paid, where the law allows, but never where this would put people or the Property at risk. We can post or courier the Keys at your request and at your risk and cost.

17.6 Unclaimed Keys. If you do not collect your Keys, or tell us what to do with them, within 60 days of the contract ending, we will write to you at your last known email and phone number. If you still have not collected or given instructions 30 days after that reminder, we may securely destroy the Keys, and will tell you that we have done so.

17.7 Ending the contract does not affect any money already owed to us, or any rights either of us had before it ended.

18. Complaints

18.1 If you are unhappy with our service, please tell us first so we can try to put it right. You can call us, come to the office, or email kcshardware@outlook.com. Please include your name, the Property, and what went wrong.

18.2 We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to give you a full reply within 30 days. Complaints made on an official complaint form (section 18.3) are answered within the time limits set by the rules of the Region of Murcia.

18.3 Official complaint forms (hojas de reclamaciones) are available at our office, as required by the rules of the Region of Murcia.

18.4 If we cannot resolve your complaint, you can contact the consumer office of the Region of Murcia or your local Oficina Municipal de Información al Consumidor (OMIC). You may also ask for the dispute to be referred to consumer arbitration through the Junta Arbitral de Consumo de la Región de Murcia; arbitration takes place only if both parties agree to it.

19. Your personal data

19.1 We use your personal data, and that of your Authorised Persons, to provide our services, to manage your account, to contact you about the Property and to meet our legal and tax obligations. We do this in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Spanish data protection law (Ley Orgánica 3/2018, LOPDGDD).

19.2 Our photo reports may show the inside of the Property. We share them with you only, or with people you tell us to share them with, such as your insurer.

19.3 When you give us the details of your Authorised Persons, you confirm that you have told them you are doing so and that they agree.

19.4 Full details of how we use, store and protect personal data, how long we keep it, and your rights (including your right to see, correct or delete it, and to complain to the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos), are in our Privacy Policy, available on our website and from our office.

19.5 We use WhatsApp to send reports and messages because it is quick and convenient. If you would prefer us to use email, please tell us.

20. General

20.1 Changes to these terms. We may update these terms from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or in our services. We will tell you about any important change at least 30 days before it takes effect. If you do not accept the change, you may cancel your Package before it takes effect and we will refund any part of the Annual Fee for whole months remaining. Changes do not apply to a Service Year you have already paid for, unless required by law.

20.2 Language. These terms are available in English and Spanish. If the two versions differ, the Spanish version prevails. However, if you are a consumer, any doubt about the meaning of these terms will be interpreted in the way most favourable to you.

20.3 Transfer. We may transfer our rights and duties under this contract to another business, if we tell you in writing and your rights are not reduced. You may not transfer your contract without our written agreement, for example if you sell the Property.

20.4 Selling the Property. If you sell the Property, please tell us. Your contract does not pass to the buyer automatically. We will hand the Keys to you or follow your written instructions, which may include handing them to the buyer or the buyer's lawyer after we have seen proof of identity.

20.5 If any part of these terms is found to be invalid, the rest will continue to apply.

20.6 If we do not enforce any of our rights straight away, we can still enforce them later.

20.7 Notices. We will contact you using the email address, phone number or WhatsApp number on your Registration Form. Please send any written notice to us at kcshardware@outlook.com or by post to our office.

21. Governing law and courts

21.1 These terms are governed by Spanish law.

21.2 Any dispute will be dealt with by the courts of Murcia, Spain. However, if you are a consumer, you may also bring proceedings in the courts of the place where you live, and nothing in this clause takes away any right you have under consumer law to use those courts.

Version 1.0, October 2026