Student Security Tips To Protect Your House From Burglars

There’s no getting away from the fact that, when you get loads of students all living in the same building, with their own laptops, phones, iPads and whatever else, burglars can see student accommodation as a bit of a goldmine.

And let’s face it, we all have that one housemate who just can’t seem to close windows, lock up their bike or not leave their keys hanging invitingly in the outside of the front door….

So, here at TOTUM we’ve teamed up with student insurance specialists Endsleigh to bring you the top tips on how to protect you and your housemates from burglaries.

From the obvious, to stuff you maybe hadn’t considered, it’s all here… 

It’s an obvious one but - lock windows and doors  

Roughly one in three burglaries are due to doors and windows being left unlocked.

So especially if you’re on the ground floor, make sure they’re shut and locked even if you’re in the house as this can affect your claim if you have contents insurance.

Speaking of… 

Get contents insurance!

It’s not the most interesting thing to sort out, but getting contents insurance is an investment that will pay off in the long run. Whether you're living in a shared house or student halls without any cover, you’ll probably want to make sure your stuff is protected just in case the worst does happen. 

Endsleigh’s student contents insurance will give you peace of mind, knowing your essential items are covered in the event of anything unfortunate happening.

You can pick the cover to suit you - ands with prices starting from as little as £2.04 a month* it won’t cost you the earth either. 

It’s worth remembering that if you're in halls, you might have contents insurance included with your rent, but it normally only covers limited items which have to be in your room when they're stolen, rather than communal areas. 

Your accommodation provider may have arranged some contents insurance with Endsleigh. You can check what's covered by entering your accommodation provider or HH reference number here. You should also check whether your parents' contents insurance will cover you at uni as well. Endsleigh has a helpful guide here.

*For £2,000 cover, based on a student living in an off campus private rented property in Bath. 

The lights are on… 

Any potential burglar will know that student houses are sure to be empty at certain times of year, and empty houses are a prime target!

So, anything you can do to make it look like there are people there when there aren’t is a good idea. 

A light timer is a worthwhile investment and means you won’t have to leave lights on 24/7 when you’re not in, and it’s worth taking any valuables that you can home with you if you’e going to be away for a while. 

Keep valuables out of sight

Although the nicest spot for your desk may be in the window overlooking the back garden, it’s also the most visible spot for your laptop, leaving burglars looking for opportunities for a quick win. 

It’s a good idea to hide your valuables when you’re out of the house, as if a burglar were to get in they wouldn’t be wanting to spend ages rummaging through your pants to find stuff!

In a similar way, you should also hide any packaging from expensive new purchases rather than just leaving it next to the bin on the street. 

Break it down, put it in the recycling and even cover it over with some other stuff to be extra secure!

Register valuables on the UK's National Property Register

To put it simply, registering your valuables increases your chances of seeing them again if they get stolen. You can add your belongings to the UK's National Property Register at Immobilise, where you should note down the the make, model and serial number of any electronics you have and submit photos of things like jewellery. The police use the register to track down the owners of stolen goods,  so if they do happen to recover your laptop and you've logged it, they can return it to you!

Keep your bike safe!

If your bike is going to be your main mode of transport it’s well worth making sure it’s covered if anything goes amiss. 

Endsleigh offer great specific bike insurance, and you can get covered from as little as £3 per month** to be protected for theft, loss or physical damage anywhere in the UK, and even for up to 90 days worldwide! Nearly 400,000 bikes get stolen in the UK every year, so as well as insurance, you probably want to invest in a good quality D-lock too, rather than a chain and padlock. 

Try and lock your bike up inside where possible and if not, make sure it’s locked through any removable parts to something immovable!

**For a £200 bike on campus, based on a student living in Bath.

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