This is part of a series of guidance about safety and security provided for students.

Household Security

With up to one third of students being victims of crime in any twelve months, and burglary accounting for a large proportion of these, household security is an important issue. It’s so important that the Home Office have created a website especially to help students find out all about keeping their house secure. Click onto the Good 2 B Secure Website for lots of useful information on keeping your belongings secure.

Security Features

Long before you move in you can take your first steps to ensuring your stuff will be safe by looking for security features when you’re looking at houses. Some key features worth looking for will include:

If you see a house that you like but it is missing any of these, ask the landlord whether he would be willing to fit them. Point out that once installed they will be there for years, and will make the house a more appealing prospect for future tenants too.

Location, Location, Location

It goes without saying that some areas are more prone to burglaries than others. Unfortunately for students, some of the areas with the highest rates of break-ins are areas that are popular for students to live in, and this is no coincidence. With typical groups of student sharers having, say, four or five sets of high-value items, such as computers and hi-fis, compared with one or two in a family house, burglars know that students can mean rich pickings.

By choosing a house in an area where nearly every house has students in, you’re making it easier for the criminals – they could break into nearly any house on the street and have five lots of students’ stuff. If you look in an area with a more balanced community (some students, plenty of permanent residents), as well as all the other benefits, in many cases you will lower your chances of being broken into too. If there are just a few student houses on the street, yours will blend in with all the other homes, making it harder for thieves to target you.

Something else that varies from area to area is the existence of Neighbourhood Watch schemes. Find out whether one exists in the area you’re thinking of renting in, and if it does, join it when you move in. If not, you could even look into setting one up.

If you’ve got it, use it

Half of all burglaries happen through unlocked doors or windows, so it’s important to always lock your door and close your windows.

There’s no doubting that a burglar alarm can be a big deterrent to people considering breaking in. If you have one, make sure you use it.

Personal Safety

If you see signs of a break-in – like smashed windows or open doors – don’t go in. Go to a friend or neighbour’s house and call the police.

Summary

  • Look for security features when picking a house.
  • Consider living in an area with a mix of students and permanent residents, which may have a lower burglary rate.
  • Keep doors locked and windows closed (and locked if you have window locks).
  • Use your burglar alarm.

Pages in this Guide

The following pages have a lot of information about safety, which might seem a lot to take in. If you don’t want to have to check all these things, Accreditation can be considered a ‘short-cut’, since most of our safety advice is reflected in the requirements of the Accreditation Scheme. It’s one of the reasons we strongly recommend you to rent an Accredited house.

This information is provided for general guidance only. Safety and security are important issues, and if you have any concerns you should speak to an expert.

This guide is copyright LetsUni, and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.

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