Nearly half of Brits don’t lock their doors and windows when they’re home, a new study from Yale shows, putting UK homes at risk

A new survey from the home security experts at Yale has shown that from keeping a light on (52%), to leaving a television or radio on (28%) or even asking a neighbour to park on the drive whilst they’re away (24%), Brits go to extraordinary lengths to avoid their home looking empty when left unattended1.

But, despite statistics showing that 58% of burglaries occur when someone is inside the property2, Yale's survey of 2,000 homeowners show that nearly half (42%) don't even lock their doors and windows when they’re at home. Whilst homeowners are investing huge sums into moving to their perfect home, they are often not protecting it adequately, leaving it vulnerable to being targeted by opportunists.

The survey by Yale revealed that when moving house, it’s not home security at the top of a homeowners’ to-do list. A third of Brits (33%) said the first thing they do when moving into a property is clean, with more homeowners choosing to make a cup of tea (15%) than change the locks in their new home (11%).

With the average Brit moving 1.4 times in the past 10 years, it’s not surprising that almost a third (32%) of people still have a key to one of their previous homes within that time. With many homeowners handing out spare keys, there could be numerous people who still have access to their new home, showing just how important it is to upgrade the locks when moving in.

A BSI 3-star cylinder lock, such as the Yale Platinum 3-Star Cylinder, is endorsed by the Police Secured by Design scheme and provides anti-snap protection for properties.

Despite UK homeowners underestimating the importance of their home security measures, with the survey finding that 65% of people haven’t upgraded their home security in the last two years, it’s a big factor for home buyers looking to purchase a property.

When searching for a new home, 38% of people are looking for low crime stats in the area, followed by 24% wanting an alarm system and 22% after a door lock that meets British Standard BS3621 - a lock standard required by some insurance companies.

Following these eye-opening statistics from the survey, Joanne Rush, Marketing Director at Yale UK said: “Although 59% of Brits surveyed said they would invest in home security products to give them peace of mind, it’s clear that many homeowners aren’t putting enough importance on the protection of their home.

“Moving into a new home is stressful, with a long list of tasks to complete when you finally get the keys. But with new homeowners often targeted by opportunists, it’s essential that us Brits prioritise our home security by investing in trusted products from reputable brands. These days, security products are so easy to setup, with the need for lots of alarm wiring or complicated installation a thing of the past. Smart security options, such as the Yale Sync Alarm, can be installed in minutes to give you peace of mind at home.

“With more than half of Brits (51%) owning up to not having any smart security products in their home, and recent Home Office data citing nearly 268,000 burglaries from April 2020 to April 20213, improving your home security has never been more important.”

For more information or advice on how to protect your home or the range of home security products from Yale, visit www.yalehome.co.uk.



1A poll of 2000 UK Adults (Nationally Representative) run by OnePoll, commissioned by Yale UK, 2022

2Eco Experts, 2022

31ONS - Crime in England and Wales: year ending September 2021

ENDS


For more information, please contact Yale UK Press office:

Name – Rhian Wilkins or Sarah Bowater

Email: rhian.wilkins@edsonevers.com / sarah.bowater@edsonevers.com



About Yale

At 181 years strong, Yale is a leading security brand that protects the people, places and things we love most.

We secure millions of homes and businesses worldwide with our innovative mechanical locks, alarms, safes and smart locks for front doors, interior doors, and cabinets, package deliveries and more.

Yale is part of the ASSA ABLOY Group, the global leader in access solutions. For more information, visit www.yalehome.com.