Mar 27, 2012
— read in fullTop home security tips
Burglars might love your new student house almost as much as you do. Read on for our top tips for keeping them out.
With thousands of students moving every September, and most of them bringing their shiny new laptops, MP3 players and mobile phones with them, student houses are unfortunately a prime target for burglars. In fact, it’s estimated that nearly one in five students will be victims of crime during their university years, and burglary is the most common. But before you start panicking, remember that there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure all your stuff stays safe.
Keep it locked
An open window is also an open invitation to a burglar, so the most obvious – and most important – way to keep them out is to lock all your doors and windows. Check that all the locks in your house are working before you move in, or arrange to have them fitted immediately if they don’t. It’s also worth asking your landlord to change the locks if this is the first time you and all your housemates have lived there, just in case other people still have keys. Always make sure every window and door is locked before you go out – even if other people are still in – and never leave a window open in a room that nobody’s in.
Keep it hidden
You might want to show your brand new stereo off to your friends, but don’t show it off to burglars as well. Make sure that nothing valuable can be seen through your windows, and never leave keys, cash or credit cards in full view either. Also be careful about putting posters in the window and letting beer bottles and pizza boxes pile up outside, since these are dead giveaways to any opportunist thief that a bunch of students with lots of expensive goods probably live inside.
Take it home
The university holidays are when you put your feet up, but it’s when most burglars get to work. Everyone knows most student houses are empty during these times, so take your most valuable things home with you so you can be sure they’ll still be yours when you get back.
Get insured
Getting burgled is never going to be fun, but it’s much worse if you’re not insured. Many insurers do special deals for students, so shop around or ask your student services office for advice. It’ll be much easier to get your money back if you make lists and take photographs of all the valuable items in your house. You should also consider marking all your valuables with your name and university in UV pen, and registering them on the national Immobilise database, so the police can get them back to you if they’re recovered later on.
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