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.

If i am at home and downstairs i tend not to lock the door. If i am going upstairs to have a shower i lock the door. If DP is away overnight i lock the doors (to enjoy the peace). Doors are locked overnight always. If either me or my DP are out without our keys, we have a safe place where we leave a set for the other.

I think i do this just so no one can just wander in to my house when im potentially not aware. I had a friend who lets themselves in places and it really annoys me, often she would walk in first thing in the morning, so sat in pjs having a cuppa, eating dinner etc. So i started locking the door and she got the hint. I also have a dog so in my head it stops anyone just letting him out (taking him) when im not around.

Where i lived before was a quiet 'oldies' area, someone had their handbag taken from the kitchen side, in the daytime by someone just chancing their luck because the door was unlocked.

Our front door locks when you close it but our patio doors and utility door are always unlocked until we go to bed. We have a gate to the rear garden but it doesn't have a lock.

An axe murderer could just walk in.

My parents never used to lock their back door and they were burgled when they were sitting in their sitting room, oblivious. The thief went upstairs and took £3k in cash and an expensive watch (don't ask me why they always have so much bloody cash in their house). Suffice to say, their house is now like Fort Knox.

Probably the same sort of people who go on a safari and leave the car windows open and doors unlocked because "animals can't open doors". It's not gone well for some.

The 'least likely to be broken into' areas, are a perfect target for robbers. It's foolhardy to leave the door unlocked. I have known people have their handbags and purses and mobile phones etc, swiped from their kitchen worktop or hallway, because they left the door unlocked.

we are in a village in a rual area in a low crime area. we lock the door always to the road, but leave our garden door open if we are at home. Although, I will usually lock that also in the morning if doing the school run (which is over an hour round trip by car) as DH has insomnia and usually is sleeping in.

However I was astonished to find a neighbour never locks any of her doors. When I feed her cat while she is away- even abroad - she just says the door is open. It is. The postman puts the letters on her kitchen table. She has her computers and piano and all her stuff completely unattended.

ours is locked to keep the youngsters safe they would be wondering off if not

Pretty much always. We got burgled overnight when we were asleep!

We lock… but I used to do a job where I worked with people who had committed crime, I would never forget the guy who told me he burgled houses during the day when people were taking naps…

My front locks from the outside when you close it, but can be opened from the inside without using the key. When we go out or go to bed in the evening we then double lock it with the key.

We live rurally and I've always kept the door locked since a neighbours farm house got broken into whilst they were all asleep inside. Jewellery was taken from her sleeping teenage DDs room.
All caught on CCTV, their dogs did bark but the family just assumed they were barking at foxes.
A few years ago we had the lovely old chimney pots stolen from our front garden, they had come off my parents house and had sentimental value to me.

I never used to worry too much then This happened ten minutes from us 😔 😔 😔
A real wake up call and we keep both doors locked now!

The front door is on a Yale so locks itself, but we have a second lock with a turn-key (a Mortice?) and that is locked immediately we get in. The back door tends only to be locked overnight or when we’re out, then there is a second door between it and the kitchen with a utility room which is locked too. Getting in the back would require a lot of wall scaling.

We’re in a quiet, low crime, one way street, it’s just automatic really. If DP is away overnight I also chain the front door - thinking about it, it’s probably a throwback to living alone in a dodgy tenement flat!

I didn't in the daytime when we had a dog but probably do so 90% of the time now. Always after dark.

The risk isn't just theft, though - don't you value your own safety and that of your children?

If you leave your doors unlocked 30% of the time, I suggest you carefully read your insurance documents before you bother making a claim when you get burgled.

I don’t lock it when in on my own unless I’m having a nap.

I live in a fairly crime free area, the doors are locked all the time, apart from the back door when the cat has gone out for a stroll. He doesn't stay out long so when he comes back in the door gets locked again. The garden gate is also always bolted.

Sometimes I forget and the front or back door gets left unlocked overnight.

I wouldn't leave them open purposely during the day, anyone could wander in.

Front door is a Yale lock that slams shut, but is only a few steps away from the pavement so would be locked anyway. Back door is open for the cats weather permitting.

My role at work is to send out messages about burglaries and other crimes.

The amount of people who are burgled via unlocked doors is probably 90% once in they steal car keys, bags and purses usually these are left by the front door in a bowl, on a shelf, in pockets.

I would lock my doors and windows when not in sight every single time.

I'm gobsmacked at how many people don't lock their doors.

God, how easy is it for burglars?! Makes me think they must like a challenge to target those of us who do take precautions when there are so many sitting ducks out there.

Never lock ours but...

a) we live in a village so not many people about

and

b) anyone coming in is going to quickly be faced with 30kg of (loud!) barking dog

Always. Someone can come in through front if it’s not locked as it has a handle, therefore we lock alway. Back door open moat if the time in good weather but you access through locked back gate. I live in a quiet area but just wouldn’t leave it unlocked

I don't lock my door during the day when I'm in but I do at night unless I forget and I do when we go out.

I've been burgled during the day once. He levered a window open, didn't even try the unlocked door next to it! Ran off when he saw me, though.

We live in a village. Bit remote and a long drive. Plus dog. I like to think burglars couldn't be arsed.

Our front door needs a key to get in all the time and the back door is locked unless someone is in the garden . We are very security conscious .