Do you lock your door when you’re in the house?

[patienceandprudence]

Inspired by another thread (no prizes for guessing which).

I was surprised that people lock their doors sheen inside the house. Granted, we live in a small house, but it’s in a ‘bad’ area. We never lock our door when someone’s in, except at night if someone remembers. I’d say we leave it unlocked while out a good 30% of the time so if the kids come back or someone drops by to visit they don’t have to wait outside.

In my area this is the norm, and most of the time if you knock you’ll just be called in and told to walk right in next time. We tell anyone the same, even the regular delivery-people know that they can open the door and put the parcel in if it’s open.

I used to in my previous house because it was the local police advice to do so. There were instances of people walking in, picking up laptops, bags etc and legging it. Not worth the risk.

Our doors are locked 100% of the time apart from when we are walking through it. We don't live in a bad area but I had one incident of a drunk man coveted in blood trying to get into my house early one morning when I was alone in the house. I had to call the police and it turns out he was in the wrong street but he was extremely determined to get in.

Before that happened my husband would often leave the front door unlocked but that terrified me and I'm fanatic about the doors being locked.

I would guarantee that your home insurance will be invalid if you're leaving it unlocked 30% of the time.

I didn't used to but then I saw this documentary about a family in the US who had all been tortured and murdered - including the small children. They caught the guy that did it and asked him what his motive was. He replied that he had not known the family at all - he had been going along the street trying the doors - and theirs was unlocked.

Always always locked. I live alone, in a so-called nice area, but that means nothing really. It helps we feel safe.

When I was on a school trip at 15, we found a man hiding in our dorm room wardrobe. When I was a student fast asleep in my shared house, a man (a friend of my housemate) came into my room and tried to get into bed with me. Neither of those things happened in rough areas of town. I worry about men taking advantage of a woman living alone rather than being burgled

Yes, ours locks automatically when it closes. Are there front doors that don’t?

I've never had one that locks automatically. At least in my area, the majority of them have to be closed manually.

And in answer to the OP. Yes I always lock my door.

@SunsetStyle

DH is a police officer. He deals with break ins and burglaries all the time. People don't just break in to steal things. How would any of you feel if you were pottering about with your kids and a total stranger walked in? Or if you were alone and in the shower? Do you honestly think you'd be happy about that? Do you really think it wouldn't happen? You are very naive if you think chancers won't ever walk in and burgle/rape/ assault or otherwise intimidate residents just because they live in a quiet area. I'm shocked that people are so cavalier about it!

Absolutely. It was not a burglary in my experience but just opportunist trying to hide.

I’ve never had a front door that didn’t lock when I shut it, but I certainly lock my DM’s door behind me.

Always. My front door is never unlocked and I don't leave ground floor windows even ajar if I'm not in the room.

Lived in a big house in an expensive area growing up and we went through a period of being targeted for burglaries/theft/trespassers, it's terrifying and unbelievably invasive.

Never be complacent about the area, it doesn't matter, there are chancers everywhere as well as planned professional break ins.

I am paranoid about safety and will often go back to check doors after I've gone to bed or as I'm leaving the house.

Always locked

Always

Always locked, front and back. Iusednro sometimes leave the back door unlocked until I saw a Crimewatch episode when a woman was raped when a man entered her house through her unlocked back door.

@speakout

I never lock my door when I am at home- and we often forget to lock it overnight too. I rarely lock my car either. Naiive perhaps, but I have never heard of theft in my area. I had to close my neighbours front door after he had gone on holiday for a week. It was deliberate apparently- to make it easy for delivery drivers.

Do you live in the 1950's?

Front door locked at all times. I have Swiss cow bells on a string attached so I would always hear if someone opened the door anyway. (I only have myself and young adult DC here.)
Back door unlocked if I'm at home, unless I'm in bed.

There is normally one door unlocked at all times, usually two. The front door is more often locked to stop one of the dogs opening it when people knock rather than to lock people out. We live in a low crime, semi rural area with large dogs.

No. Do you leave your car unlocked when you park somewhere?

I never did until an armed man ran through my house.

Front door always locked, usually back door too. I live in fear of the bailiffs coming round, like off the telly, and walking in because it is not locked. Not that I owe anyone any money, but just in case!

I only lock ours when we go to bed. That said, we live rurally, on a lane which has only one entrance/exit and the gentleman who lives at the bottom misses nothing!(which is good!).

Apart from the few neighbours we have on the lane, we pretty much only see sheep/horses.

Always worries me when people don't lock their doors. I tend to feel little to no sympathy if they have a break walk in. My worry is more for the children in the home, not the adults who've made the decision to make breaking in easier.

I almost ALWAYS lock it. Why would you not?

@speakout it’s similar here!

Back door is always locked unless it's being used. Front door is unlocked if we are awake and downstairs. If we are upstairs or in the back garden it's locked. Also if I go out and my boys are upstairs (19&22) I lock it, they hear nothing!

Mines always locked at all times

We do now. Didn't previously but that changed when someone snuck in and stole stuff.

Mine locks automatically. You can’t enter the house without a key. At night, the last person in triple-locks the door with the other locks.