December 2025
Essential Christmas Home Security Tips to Prevent Holiday Break-ins
The festive period is a busy time of year. Between family visits, present wrapping, and general merriment – it’s easy to become complacent when it comes to home safety. As the evenings draw in and our homes are left empty more frequently, it’s the perfect time for criminals to strike. Unfortunately, we see this every year with a spike in winter break-ins, but there are steps that you can take to secure your home and reduce the risk of break-ins this Christmas.
Basic Security: Don't Forget to Lock Doors and Windows
This one seems obvious, but an unlocked door is Christmas come early for burglars and the truth is, we’ve all done it. Stay vigilant and ensure all your doors and windows are locked securely before leaving your home. For added safety, any ladders or tools that burglars would find useful for a break-in should also be securely locked away with a padlock. Let’s not make it easy for them.
Hiding Spots: Secure Keys and Prevent Letterbox Fishing
Burglars weren’t born yesterday, and they know all the tricks! They also know the easiest way to gain access to a home is through the front or back door, and they’re quick to look under a rock or a mat just in case you’ve left a spare key lying around. A general rule of thumb should be never to leave keys (your house or car keys for that matter) lying around in plain view, many people leave them in a bowl within close proximity to the door, this is something to avoid as burglars have been known to try and reach the keys through a letterbox or window. Ensure any spare house keys are out of sight and a good tip is to make sure a trusted neighbour has a spare key for emergencies.
Travel Safety: The Dos and Don’ts of Holiday Social Media Posting
It’s tempting to post about the magical time you’re having on your Christmas holidays, but by doing this, the information becomes freely available and can be used against you by criminals on the prowl for vacant homes. If you’re
lucky enough to be getting away over the festive period, take a mountain of photographs, just wait till your return to post them online. Living in the moment is more fun anyway!
Deterrents: Lights, Alarms, and Making Your Home Look Occupied
Half the battle of home security is making it look like your home is occupied. Timers for your outside/indoor lights are perfect for this and when set to go off at different times it will make your home look like there is always someone in it. Another important point that goes hand in hand with lights is an alarm system, having a competent alarm system is not only an important step for securing your home’s safety, but it also acts as a deterrent to potential burglars as well as providing you with peace of mind. A premium discount may apply with a fitted burglar alarm ask your insurer about this.
Shutterstock / Chiyacat
Presents and Valuables: Keeping High-Value Items Hidden
Yes, we’re talking about under the Christmas tree. Although it’s a tradition, it’s important to make sure valuable are out of sight, and that means finding another place for your presents to live. It’s a simple fact that there are more high-value items in our homes during the festive period and burglars are aware of this. They’ll go for the presents first, so it’s good to consider keeping them secure while in your home so they can be enjoyed by who they’re meant for.
With Allianz Home Insurance, your contents cover automatically increases by 10% in the months of December and January, to allow for those special purchases.
Check out our FAQ and support hub for more information about home insurance or our weather hub below.
FAQs: Christmas home security
How to keep your home safe during the holidays?
The best strategy for Christmas home security is to combine physical defences with making the home appear occupied, especially when you are away.
Does leaving lights on at night deter burglars?
Yes, but only when used correctly and in combination with other measures.
Leaving a single light on is better than none but using randomised timers on multiple indoor lights is significantly more effective at convincing a potential intruder that the home is occupied.
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Information correct as at 18/12/2025
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