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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is DH U or am I paranoid? Locking doors at night

205 replies

Spiderpigspiderpig · 28/08/2016 23:00

We live in a bungalow. Front door and back door are on the left of the building and are opposite each other... Hallway & kitchen between them. We have another external door at the back on far right handside of building in ds room. So 2 rear external doors & 1 front one. The one in ds room is closest to all of the other bedrooms.

Before be Dh prefers to lock all door and hang keys up in kitchen.

I prefer to lock doors but leave all keys in locks.

His argument is that a burgular will smash a window and reach the key, so it's not safe to do this.

My argument is that if there's a fire we'll be trapped in the house as we won't be able to get to keys. Our windows don't open enough to climb through.

Who is bu?

OP posts:
AntiHop · 29/08/2016 00:40

Keys in locks. Ease of getting out in a fire is more important than reducing burglary risk.

aisatsana · 29/08/2016 00:48

I would NEVER leave keys in the lock. Might as well not bother locking the door if you're gonna do that, in my opinion.

Just keep a spare set of keys in the bedroom, problem solved.

Bogeyface · 29/08/2016 00:57

You are more likely to die in a house fire than be burgled while people are in the house. I read an article about statistics v perceived risk once and this was one of them. Burglars dont want to be disturbed, which is why you are far more likely to have a break in during the day when everyone is out than when you are all at home in bed.

I would leave the keys in the locks, and in fact I do!

CafeCremeEtCroissant · 29/08/2016 01:00

My front door & car key go on my bedside table. Without fail.

Patio doors, the key goes in a drawer near the doors

Back door (at the end of a long hallway) is supposed to go on a hook inside the hall cupboard, but is often left in the door. Not great, but tbh, if they want to get in they only need to look at the French doors and they'll open most of the time as the other inhabitants seem incapable of locking them properly.

But I really must toughen up on both (patio doors being locked properly & back door key not being left in the back door) - though that's as much me as them 😮

happy2bhomely · 29/08/2016 01:14

I don't lock my front door at night. We have a multipoint lock, so I pull the handle up and put the chain on, so it can't be opened from outside but I never lock it with a key. DH has tried to convince me, but I feel trapped with it locked. I worry that the kids might need to get out without us in an emergency, and would be trapped if it was locked with a key. I do lock it with a key when we go out.

I keep the key in the back patio doors, but we have thumb locks at the top and bottom so they can only open from the inside, even with a key.

My theory is that is that if a burglar breaks in while we are sleeping, I would rather they did it and left as quickly as possible! if someone wants to break in and murder us in our sleep, then a lock won't stop them. They will break windows.

DH fits double glazing and tells me that most locks can be popped out with a screwdriver and hammer anyway.

But if there is a fire, I want to be able to get out as quickly as possible, through as many exits as possible.

somekindofmother · 29/08/2016 01:18

keys in doors here... tho I back doors are the only ones that them and the garden is 6ft fence all round onto other gardens except for the gate which is always padlocked... we also have cctv front and back.
I'm paranoid about fire and have taught ds1 (4) what to do if the fire alarm goes off at night and we have fire extinguishers upstairs and down, and a fire ladder in my room and a spare 'fire based emergency' sling so I could carry the 18mo safely down said ladder...

PersianCatLady · 29/08/2016 01:19

In our house you don't need a key to lock the front door from the inside, you just turn the knob so you can never be in a situation where you can't get out because you can't find the key.

Although this must have seemed like a good idea when the houses were being built a lot of the families with young children are finding that their kids can open the front door quite easily so in that respect they are not very secure.

BlurtonOnKites4eva · 29/08/2016 01:22

Id much rather be broken into than trapped I a fire.

aisatsana · 29/08/2016 01:31

I didn't realise people were so frightened of fires! I've never known anybody who has been trapped inside a house while it's on fire, it's not something that I really ever worry about, tbh.

hollinhurst84 · 29/08/2016 01:47

See I had, long story but due to parents job I was taught from being tiny that if someone breaks in you give them the safe keys and then you do X Y Z. So I've always had a fire plan and a burglar plan!

MimiSunshine · 29/08/2016 03:25

In a fire you are unlikely to have the ability to search for keys. Especially if there's smoke. Self preservation kicks in and you generally leg it which is why people are often on the street in the night in not very much after a fire. You'd think you would grab shoes and clothes, you won't.

However burglars don't smash the whole window to get the keys so they won't just climb in instead.
My BF used to want to leave keys in locks, I insisted we didn't.
The people next door did and they got burgled on Christmas Eve, with just a small corner of a door window broken and the key removed,there was evidence to suggest that the burglars had been in our garden as well but obviously found next door an easier target because of the key.

Put a hook either on the door or next to it for key and compromise that way for safety in both situations

Bogeyface · 29/08/2016 03:50

I didn't realise people were so frightened of fires! I've never known anybody who has been trapped inside a house while it's on fire, it's not something that I really ever worry about, tbh.

The reason you dont hear of people being trapped is because they have thought about it and made sure that they have an escape route!

I am frightened of fires because I couldnt get to my house one day. The road was blocked with fire engines and an ambulance. The house was gutted and took almost a year to sort out and my neighbours almost lost their lives, they didnt because of smoke alarms, but they did lose everything they owned.

Burglars take what they can sell, a fire will take everything, including your life. I know which I fear more.

ninjapants · 29/08/2016 04:02

Persian our house has the same kind of door lock, I hate it! Yes it would be easier to get out if the house was on fire, but we have to keep the chain on to prevent our 3yo DS from going out to see the neighbours' children whenever they pass by. A not very well thought out safety feature that increases the risk of young children being knocked down by a car (far more likely than a house fire imo).

Anyway, I stand by my original point; don't leave keys in the door. You don't have to choose: fire or burglary, just be sensible about where you keep your keys.

ninjapants · 29/08/2016 04:02

Persian our house has the same kind of door lock, I hate it! Yes it would be easier to get out if the house was on fire, but we have to keep the chain on to prevent our 3yo DS from going out to see the neighbours' children whenever they pass by. A not very well thought out safety feature that increases the risk of young children being knocked down by a car (far more likely than a house fire imo).

Anyway, I stand by my original point; don't leave keys in the door. You don't have to choose: fire or burglary, just be sensible about where you keep your keys.

MapleandPear · 29/08/2016 04:14

Keys in locks. Ease of getting out in a fire is more important than reducing burglary risk.

I agree. Our front door is just locked with the Yale lock while we are in the house so we can get out easily. Back door is locked with a key but kept right near the door.

JudyCoolibar · 29/08/2016 08:51

The simplest solution seems to be Yale locks.

Original poster
Spiderpigspiderpig · 29/08/2016 09:02

That's interesting clara about avoiding intruders coming to far in to house

OP posts:
Queenbean · 29/08/2016 09:09

While we are on this thread can everyone take a mo to check the batteries on their smoke alarm and replace if needed?

Love, mum x

CarefullyAirbrushedPotato · 29/08/2016 09:16

Our keys stay in the locked door at night.

If someone wants to break in they will and they could steal objects. Objects that can be replaced.

If there's a fire I don't want my family overcome by smoke inhalation and burning to death whilst I fumble around in a smoke filled house looking for keys in another room.

SomedayBaby · 29/08/2016 09:24

The only safe place for keys is next to the door that they open, but out of sight and reach of the front door...you can get them in event of fire but they cannot be seen or reached from the letterbox.

SomedayBaby · 29/08/2016 09:27

Personally i'd see this - www.actionfraudalert.co.uk/da/83048 - as much more of a risk. Just not worth leaving keys in the door IMO and it goes against every piece of anti-burglary advice available.

mygrandchildrenrock · 29/08/2016 09:27

Having just done my fire marshall course for work, the advice was to lock your door and have the key on a hook near the door. Depending on where your letter box is would depend on where you put your hook, so that would-be burglars can't get a stick through and hook your keys off their hook.
too many hooks

Queenbean · 29/08/2016 09:36

A mail cage for the back of the door is a good idea

TheWoollybacksWife · 29/08/2016 09:43

Ha Queen my two DDs are sleeping off a late night out. They woke their little brother up coming in so he's been up since stupid o'clock. I'm tempted to test the smoke alarms today. I'll wait until lunchtime - I'm not completely evil.

OP could you make a copy of the key for the door in your DS's room and blu tack it somewhere out of sight - like on the top of a wardrobe so it's there if needed in an emergency.

Discobabe · 29/08/2016 10:08

Locks in the door here. Most burglars aren't interested if they think someone is home/they might get disturbed. You'd here them smashing a door, I'd hear the door being unlocked. Getting us all out would be hard enough if the house were filling with smoke without having to hunt for keys, see to unlock the door.