How to keep your home safe when you're away:

With the autumn break fast approaching, many of you may be planning a holiday or going home to visit family. In both cases we hope you have a great time and enjoy your time off. Before you leave, however, it is very important that you take a few simple steps to protect your property from theft and fire in your absence.

Lock your doors

It might sound obvious, but it is crucial that you make sure all windows and doors are locked (double locked if possible) to prevent any opportunistic burglars from breaking in. We also highly recommend that you either take your keys with you or leave them with someone you trust while you’re gone and never under a doormat or plant pot.

Tell us when you are leaving

We are also more than happy to check in on your property while you are away. All you have to do is let your property manager know when you are leaving and how long for and they will check in for you from time to time.

Turn off appliances

Turn off all appliances and disconnect any electric plugs that won’t be needed while you’re away. Not only will this will help to lower your electricity bill, but it can also prevent a fire from developing.

Protecting your valuables

If you’re planning to be away from home for any length of time, consider taking valuables such as jewelry, laptops and cameras with you. If that’s not practical, leaving them with a friend or storing them in a safe deposit box may be an option. There are plenty of facilities locally that offer both large and small storage space and you can never be too careful when it comes to protecting all the hard work you've done on your laptop this semester.

Don’t broadcast your location

Who can see your social media profile? It can be tempting to brag about an upcoming holiday on your socials but that may be just what the burglars have been waiting for! So, unless you are sure that your page cannot be seen by the general public, keep your absence quiet.

We hope this has taught you how to keep your home safe when you're not in.