How Burglary and Theft Can Affect Home Insurance

The pandemic has impacted life in many different ways, how we work, how we use technology, how we spend our leisure time. It has also changed our relationship with our homes. Having spent so much time not being able to go out, it highlighted how important it is to make your surroundings as comfortable and welcoming as possible.

There was a DIY boom in 2021, with UK homeowners spending more than £21 billion on home renovations. This money hasn’t just been spent on new kitchens, bathrooms, loft extensions and conservatories, 20% of it was spent on gardens. Love has blossomed for our outdoors spaces with a desire to make the most of every spare inch available.

Having spent so much time, effort, and resources on turning our dwellings into homes to be proud of, protecting that space becomes even more important. The thought of someone breaking in, taking valuables, and causing damage is frightening. Getting the right home insurance in place is a vital part of that protection.

Does home insurance cover against burglary?

To answer this question, it is first important to be clear about what burglary is and how it differs from theft and robbery. While we often use these terms interchangeably, in law they have quite different definitions. According to the CPS, burglary is entering a building without permission and taking, or attempting to take, anything in that building. Theft is dishonestly taking something that belongs to someone else, and robbery is taking something that belongs to someone else through force or with the threat of force.

Home insurance is there to protect you if something happens to your property and/or belongings. It is made up of two distinct types:

• Contents insurance covers you against loss, damage or theft to your personal or home possessions.
• Building insurance usually covers loss or damage caused by theft, attempted theft and vandalism to your property.

Burglary is usually covered by these insurances. When you take these out, you’ll be asked to take steps to avoid it happening.

Home insurance will not be valid if:

• You haven’t taken measures to secure your home properly.
• You leave your home unoccupied for a long, continuous period of time – if you are going to be away from home for more than a month, speak to your insurer beforehand to see what you need to do to validate your insurance.
• You leave spare keys where they can easily be found – for example, under the doormat.
• You’ve told your insurer you have a burglar alarm but have failed to use it.

What are my responsibilities before and after a burglary has been committed?

In life, prevention is often less painful than the cure. The average cost of a burglary is more than £3,000, so thinking about how you can deter potential burglars and secure your home is time well spent. Investing in home security systems, motion-sensor lighting and robust window and door locks will not only help you feel safer, they are likely to put-off would-be intruders. Most burglaries happen in the daytime and take less than 10 minutes. Burglars are looking for the easiest opportunities, so these simple precautions can make a significant difference.

If the worst does happen and your home is burgled, it’s important you follow these steps:

• Phone the police and report it, you will need a crime number to claim on your insurance
• Inform your bank to cancel any stolen cards and in case your account details have been taken too
• Make a note of all stolen or damaged items and take photos and videos as evidence
• Contact your insurer and report the incident
• Secure your home

Make sure you know where your insurance policy documents are kept, so you can find them quickly when you need them.

Am I covered if I’m robbed while I’m away from home?

It’s likely that some of your most valuable possessions are those that you carry around with you every day – a laptop, jewellery or your wallet for example. While your contents insurance may cover these outside the home, it’s not always the case. While some policies do cover these personal possessions as standard, others do so only as an optional extra. Make sure you check with your insurer, so you know exactly what is covered and where.

Are my garden, driveway and outbuildings covered?

It isn’t just our gardens that have got a makeover in the past couple of years, sales of high-end home office sheds have been booming as more people work from home. These buildings represent a significant investment and often contain expensive pieces of equipment. They are likely to be positioned out of the way, so could be seen as soft targets. Likewise garages and sheds are often less secure and contain high value tools that are easy to take and sell on.

Damage to the structure of these caused by a burglary should be covered by your buildings insurance, as will your garden walls and fences. Valuables kept in these buildings can be covered by your contents insurance if you include them on your policy. Most insurers will only cover items that are locked away or secured, so think about how you can protect high value items like patio heaters or BBQs to keep them safe. Your insurer will expect you to take effective protection measures for every part of your home, inside and out. 

Where are burglary hotspots in the UK?

While the number of burglaries has fallen dramatically over the past 20 years, there were still 266,283 recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2021/2. Large urban areas like London, Manchester and Birmingham have the most recorded incidents, but the city where you are most likely to be burgled is Sheffield.

With the cost of living crisis causing hardship for many, burglaries could well be on the rise this winter. Now is a good time to consider if you’re doing all you can to protect the home and possessions you love. Make sure you speak to InsureMy and find out what insurance you need at the right price.