The importance of securing your property over winter
Securing your property over winter is vital to protect against potential damage
Our own trend data for the ten years from 2008 to 2018 shows that attempted break-ins peak in January and theft claims are highest through late autumn and early winter.
The long hours of darkness during winter create more opportunities for burglars.
Over the five years from 2014 to 2019, 8.4 per cent of all claims we received at Total Landlord were for break ins, with an average claim value of £2,250, although many are considerably higher – the highest ever claim, paid in 2018, was for £80,438.
So, what steps should you be taking to deter intruders and protect both your property and your tenants through the winter months?
Your first line of defence is deterrence, so here are three things you can do that will make it much harder for burglars to sneak up and break in to your property once the sun’s gone down:
Fit motion-activated lights to the front and back of the property – and anywhere else where someone might be able to gain access at night, such as a garage. Not only will that help deter burglars, it’ll also be more convenient and safer for your tenants coming and going through winter.
Gravel makes an unavoidable crunching sound when you walk on it, which could alert your tenants to someone approaching the property. So, rather than tarmac or block paving, go for a gravel drive and pathways. And the added benefit is there’s much less chance of tenants slipping when it’s icy.
You don’t want to give an intruder anything to hide behind, so either cut back or completely remove any trees, bushes and large plants that are close to doors and windows.
According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, around 70% of burglars break in through a door, with roughly one in five finding the door unlocked! Around 30% gain entry through a window and about a third of those find the window either open or unlocked.
So, although your tenants are far less likely to leave windows open during the winter, remind them to always close and lock the doors and windows when they leave the property.
Properly fitted, modern double-glazing units are pretty difficult to break into when they’re locked from the inside, so that’s ideally the type of windows and doors you should install.
It’s also worth considering changing the locks for each new tenancy and if a tenant loses their keys. Some landlords choose to install security alarms, but they can be more trouble than they’re worth if tenants don’t know how to operate them properly.
Unless your property is in a high-crime area, taking the steps above to deter burglars and secure windows and doors should be sufficient for your tenants to feel safe and secure in their home.
For more on securing your rental property, see our ultimate guide.
The winter months can wreak havoc on a property, especially when you’re letting it to tenants who may not have dealt with issues such as leaks, storm damage or burglaries before.
Prevention is definitely the key to having a hassle free winter, and it’s important to make sure you have the right level of insurance cover in place as things will happen.
And, just in case the tenant causes damage, that you have a deposit that you can recoup some or all of your costs through. Read our separate articles on winter related insurance issues and winter related deposit issues, for more in-depth advice on these topics.
And you can find out more from a landlord’s perspective in our ‘Landlord voice’ article by seasoned landlord, Tom Entwistle, who shares his insights on preparing your rental property for winter, focusing on the need to view repairs and maintenance as an investment, rather than a cost.
