Locking up properly: doors, windows and keys

At home, someone else usually checked the doors at night. When you live alone that job is yours, and a few simple habits make your flat or room a much harder target.

Why the basics matter

• Aston Students' Union warns that 'thieves operate day and night', so doors and windows need to be secure at all times, not only when you go to bed.
• Burglars are known to try door handles to see whether a door is unlocked (Aston Students' Union). Keep your front door locked even when you are inside.
• The Metropolitan Police advise double locking the front door whenever you leave, even if you are only popping out for a few minutes.
• The Personal Safety module covers answering the door and spare keys. This lesson goes further: checking what you actually have and building a locking-up routine.

Check your front door on move-in day

• Look at the door itself: is it solid, does it close fully without forcing, and does it lock easily? Aston Students' Union suggests checking this when you view or move in.
• In the UK, look for a five-lever mortice deadlock. The Metropolitan Police booklet recommends one conforming to British Standard BS 3621, together with an automatic deadlatch.
• If your door has a euro-cylinder lock (the kind with a key slot in a shaped barrel), the Met Police recommend an anti-snap, anti-bump type.
• A door viewer (spy hole) or video doorbell lets you see who is outside without opening up. The Met suggests an outside light by the door so you can see callers at night, and West Yorkshire Police recommend a door chain or spy hole so you can speak to callers without letting them in.
• If a lock is stiff, broken or missing, report it to your landlord or agent in writing straight away. Aston Students' Union notes landlords should keep faulty locks repaired.

Windows: the forgotten door

• The Metropolitan Police say all ground-floor windows, and any an intruder could reach by climbing, should have key-operated locks.
• Shut all windows when you go out (Aston Students' Union).
• For uPVC windows, Aston Students' Union suggests opening only to the first locking point when you want ventilation, and locking fully with the key when you leave the room or the house.
• Ask your landlord how the window locks work and where the keys are if nobody has shown you.
• In a high-rise in the GCC you may never think about windows, but balconies reachable from a neighbouring balcony or a podium level still need to be locked when you are out. Dubai Police safety tips reported by Gulf News also start with locking all windows and entrances before you travel.

Keys and valuables

• Keep your keys in the same place every time you come in, away from the front door and letterbox so they cannot be hooked through it (Metropolitan Police).
• Do not leave keys or valuables near open windows (Metropolitan Police).
• Keep laptops, phones and bags out of sight from windows (Aston Students' Union).
• Aston Students' Union suggests security-marking valuables with your postcode and house number, and taking them home or leaving them with someone you trust over long holidays.
• Do not leave the empty box from a new laptop or television by the bins: it tells passers-by what is inside (Aston Students' Union). Flatten it and take it to recycling.

Your 30-second locking-up routine

• Before you go out or go to bed: windows shut and locked, balcony door locked, front door double locked.
• Keys go in their usual spot; valuables out of sight.
• In shared buildings, do not let people follow you through the main entrance (Aston Students' Union). The communal door protects everyone.
• Do the same check every time until it becomes automatic, the way you check for your phone and wallet.