To remove my 15 yo son's computer for an evening because he keeps leaving the front door open when he goes to school ?

[jasper]

That's it really. He's of the smart but dizzy type. Often leaves front door open ( I mean actually ajar ) , lights on etc. I love him dearly but can't get through to him about simple stuff like this and I'm sick of the sound of my own voice. And no he's not on drugs or depressed or anything

I hope my insurance policy doesnt say that, I dont have any window keys, never given them and one window doesnt lock as its a fire escape window.

There is no legal principle of "victim blaming"

Leave your front door open and get burgled you are likely to have invalidated your policy for failing to securing your property and possessions. Most policies will have a condition that you have responsibility to ensure the security of your property. If you say you have window or door locks and you don't use them then this may also invalidate your policy.

Anyway this is off point.

If there are no locks and you've told them that then its not a problem (but your premium is likely to have been higher.) If you've said you have locks and you don't use them (or you leave the window or door wide open) then that's a problem.

Leaving a door wide open might be seen as not taking sensible precautions, an unlocked door or open upstairs window isn't.

My policy specifically states that cash is only covered if there's forced entry, i.e everything else is covered whether there's forced entry or not.

If I'd left my front door open and I was burgled, I wouldn't even bother ringing the insurance company as I would assume it was invalidated.

I think that's fair, anyone can make a mistake, I've left the car wide open when I've gone to the shops before, but doing it consistently needs a shock to make sure he does it. I'm sure he doesn't mean to and kicks himself when he does it but it just has to be done.

If it's a laptop computer which is often downstairs, it would be very easy to fake a theft, opportunistic thieves often look for one valuable item and get out ASAP.

Well, you'd be wrong angelos. In the vast majority of cases they would pay out. Maybe not if you'd done it three times in a year but for a normal, forgetful and unlucky person, your policy would cover you.

it is off topic but I don't really find it that much trouble to lock up and close windows before going out, and look back at the house before leaving to check. But then I don't have a gormless teen in the house which is the point of the thread.

locks on things and using them keeps the premiums down. Works for me.

Yes, but that is the point. I lock the doors every time I leave the house but it would be sods law that the one time I forgot would be the one time we were burgled, so I don't take that kind of risk with my insurance policy.

No advice but lots of sympathy. I have a dizzy dreamer too. He went to go out of the front door once and there was a spider in its web at the top of the door frame. The poor lamb couldnt possibly go near a spider so climbed out of the window instead - and left the bloody window open. Front door has been left open several times also. Luckily nothing every happened.

to be fair i have been guilty of leaving the back door wide open all night, or going to work and leaving it open or unlocked. My garden backed onto the railway line and we have a big dog, probably why I was never burgled but it was always a shock to come home and see it wide open.

He's 15 and can't remember to close a front door?

I'd do what others have suggested and take his keys away until he learns how to use them!

I have the opposite experience of a strapping 16 year old who clearly thinks the door won't possibly close unless slammed at maximum force.

Luckily it's 8am and the neighbours are already up.

This is the worst thing your 15 year old does?
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Really.
Save the big guns for things that matter.

LOL LineRunner, our windows rattle when DS1 goes out.

I see that from starting to write this, to posting it, a few other folks have suggested similar, Great Minds and all that!

Have you explained to him how that would invalidate the house insurance and how many decades he'd be living in the garden shed on bread and water whilst paying you his whole salary to cover the cost of what the losses would be?

You could have a trial run at it for 48 hours to make it plain to him that actions have consequences. Sheds don't support screentime

Just to say, DH left our garage door open after clearing up after a barbecue. We had £3000 of mountain bikes stolen. We reported it to the police, who came out and mentioned we should claim on our insurance. We did, explained about the door, and got new bikes from them.

Thank you Tinkly, I knew I wasn't making it up (but was starting to wonder)

OP as the mother of a teenage DS too I think your idea is a good one to focus his thoughts when he steps through the door. At that age they can be very dippy so I would do it with good humour. There is nothing more pointless and wearing that nagging at teenagers.

My own DS is dippy about security in a different way. He has, on more than one occasion locked me out! I've popped out to the neighbours or whatever and he has decided spur of the moment to go out himself despite me telling him what I was doing, and locked up! I ended up leaving keys at two different neighbours as an insurance against this happening!

I work in claims- most household policies do not stipulate that access has to be forced, although this is generally the rule for commercial policies. Common misconception.

great input from all thanks.
I did it, he wasn't pleased but I think it will work

I've claimed on house insurance for stuff that wasn't locked up too - and they paid out (c. 4.5k). Was quite surprised, and very relieved!

My mother's dog, otoh, locked her out of her house today...

YANBU

My older ones have done this many times so don't have keys for now. I am SAHM so in most the time but if I am out they have to go out too. Until I can trust them to shut/lock the door. I can't afford to get burgled and risk the insurance. I can't worry all day that my door is ajar. They have to learn to be responsible. Make him go out when you do until he learns.

My daughter also used to leave the straighteners on and once they were so hot they were smoking and almost on fire. I took them away too as she had had several warnings. She has them back now but I still have to check before i go out..

When I was at university one of us didn't lock the door overnight and it ended up being open ask night. At 8am we were woken by a police officer shouting who'd noticed the door was ajar. We'd been burgled. We lost - 2 laptops, 2 purses with money and cards in, 1 bag full of overnight things, 1 iPod, and worst of all the burgler took my boyfriend's car keys and tried to start his car but couldn't get past the immobiliser but he flung the keys which meant we had to get the car scrapped as the insurers wouldn't fix the central locking. Then we all had a massive falling out in the house and the two factions didn't speak to one another again for the rest of the tenancy... oh and because we were students we didn't have insurance so just lost everything. It's better to lock your door!