If you’re heading home for the festive break please take a moment to ensure that you’re keeping your student accommodation secure, and your property safe, over the Christmas period.
Here are some top tips help you:
- Empty properties make Christmas a popular time of year for burglaries, with unoccupied student homes being a prime target. Try to take your valuables with you, or arrange to leave them with friends or family until you return.
- Create the illusion that someone is at home by making your accommodation look occupied. Simple things such as having coats hanging in the hallway and a light on are good deterrents. Using a light timer can make it appear that somebody is at home while you are away.
- If you’re not taking them home with you, make sure that any valuables are out of sight. Laptops, gadgets, and computers that can be spotted through a window will make your home very attractive to burglars.
- It’s also worth registering your possessions for free with Immobilise, the national property register. This allows the Police to identify the owners of any recovered property, should the worst happen.
- Remember to lock all doors and windows, and activate any house alarms as you leave. If there is access at the back of the property, always make sure that gates are locked and fences are secure.
- If your heating is left off whilst you are away there is a risk that water pipes could freeze and burst during cold weather, leaving your accommodation flooded. Leave your heating while you are away, but to minimise energy costs you can set it on low using the timer.
- Don’t switch off the electricity supply as this will turn off your central heating boiler, defrost your freezer, and prevent any wired fire and intruder alarms from working. Just turn off any electrical equipment at the plug if it isn’t needed while you’re away.
- Check that all taps have been turned off before you leave.
- And finally, make sure that all rubbish has been put out. Your student accommodation will smell much better when you return!
Follow these tips and you’ll have peace of minding while your away, knowing that your student accommodation should be safe and secure.
Free security equipment and advice from Merseyside Police
For anyone that lives in the Picton and Greenbank areas, Merseyside Police are out and about, this week providing advice and security equipment. As these areas have been highlighted as a burglary hot spots around the Christmas period, they have sourced additional security equipment specifically for residents in this area, including Smart Video doorbells and Selecta DNA marking kits.
The South Liverpool Police team will be posting updates on their Twitter account during the week with more information and details of where to find them.
You can also find more information on keeping your home safe on their website.