To lock the front door even when we are in?

[fitofthegiggles]

Not always but often enough that OH comments that I'm a bit obsessive about it and tbh I feel I'm a bit overly cautious.

Context is we live in a pleasant suburb in a peaceful neighbourhood where there is a very low crime rate. However occasionally over the years people have had someone walk in through their unlocked front door in broad daylight - even when they were in - pinch stuff and scarper. It was quite a scary experience especially for one old person who was living alone. As I say this has happened maybe twice in the 12 years we've lived here. My thinking is "better safe than sorry".

So I lock the front door (it's one of those ones where you have to use the key on the inside rather than a "snick lock" but I leave the key in the door for emergencies) if ever we are in the back garden or upstairs or I'm leaving the (now adult) kids at home and they are upstairs.

They and OH sometimes raise their eyes and think I'm being OTT and to be honest I feel that in terms of crime rate statistics in our area it's not really necessary and I don't want to be that person who thinks there's danger lurking everywhere (I don't believe there is) or give that impression of fear to the kids.
But I still do it.

Sorry@User16496743 I've just realised I misread your post! You are correct!

Please dont leave your key in the lock in the front door. Its a security issue. All it takes is a moment for someone to stick their hand through your letterbox and unlock the door from inside, and they have access to your house.

I never leave the key in the lock because it's easy for a burglar to stick their hand through the letterbox to get the keys, or if you have glass in or near your front door they'll smash it and reach in for the keys.

If you keep your car keys on the same keyring they will then steal your car too.

Yes, ours too. Closes, but needs a key to lock from either inside or outside. We do have two large dogs, which helps.

I put the chain on. My parents leave their doors unlocked and sometimes will leave the garage door open as well if they are in. On the other hand, we often leave the porch open (inner door locked) if we are out and are expecting a parcel, the idea of which shocks my parents

Of course you should lock your doors when you are in the house. Theft and assault/rape aside you get idiots like in the case a few months ago who just walked into someone's house and filmed the residents to upload to Youtube.

We always have car keys in relatively easy reach for this reason. DH has had a lot of high value cars in relation to his previous job. We don’t want to make it difficult. If someone wants the car they can have it. I don’t want to be assaulted for the hidden keys, it’s just a car and we have insurance. They can take it.

I live rurally, although lived in a city previously, and I always lock mines. If you're all in anyway, what's the harm in being safer.

Front door locked and chained, back door triple-locked, all windows locked apart from the bathroom and bedroom ones which are currently open to air the room. Back yard gate bolted and communal entry gate locked. I live in a high crime area (can't afford to move before anyone suggests it) and have been burgled twice. I never answer the front door without calling out "who is there" and then checking with the chain on. I call it being sensible.

Every time this thread comes up someone posts to say they've never heard of doors that need a key to lock

I'm guessing but there must be millions of front doors like that, it's a totally normal type of door to have. Are you really not aware that a non locking door exists?

We live rurally, virtually no crime, door is always locked. We also have a robust security system (cameras, shock sensors, motion sensors, etc.), as we figure deterrents are better than a break-in which could have been avoided.

I did once lock myself out, luckily DP was on the way home and I could wait in my car. People I told were surprised I hadn't been able to get in through a window or an unlocked door, I was asked more than once if I actually kept the back door locked! Well yes, because if I was going to rob someone I'd head round the back where less people could see me and I'm more obscured by a fenced-in garden!

This. I'm stunned by how many people have front doors that don't lock themselves

We don't even lock our door if we go out but I realise we're probably a minority. Even if we do lock the front door, the back door will be unlocked. We lock it at night

That's fair enough if you think you will be specifically targeted for your keys because of your expensive car. I would do the same.

But no one is going to go out of their way to steal my Skoda, so I'm not gonna make it easy for them!

Always locked. We changed our door to a thumb turn on the inside as soon as we moved in for this reason.

When I did have a small fire, I carried the burning item out of the front door and the thumb turn caused the the smallest of delays to no detriment. I wouldn’t like a lock that needed a key to be unlocked.

But on a risk assessment, I think burglary is more likely than fire (albeit likely less dangerous).

No.

Some front doors can be opened from the street/garden just as you'd open any internal door. Ours is like that. It doesn't lock automatically when closed, you have to manually lock it with a key. And if you choose not to lock it, it can be opened from outside without a key.

All the "but whhhhhhyyyyy take the risk" posters - I don't perceive it as a risk. We are at the end of a quiet cul de sac, the houses on either side and my neighbour opposite's house are occupied during the day. Yale locks are not the norm on any houses round here. I have lived in properties with Yale locks and they are a pain in the neck, having to remember to take a key when you leave for 20 seconds to get something out of the car or put something in the bin at the side of the house.

An enormous about of people have UPVC doors that need a key to lock. Surely it's not that unusual

Our doors are very rarely locked but we do have more than one large dog

Do you have home insurance, you do realise it won't be valid should someone come in and take your stuff right?

How do you recognize a random wanting to steal keys from a serial rapist @AlltheFs ??

You must be easily baffled 😂

New doors cost £1000s, why would anyone waste money on something they don't want just because you don't understand doors?

We leave the back doors unlocked if we are in as the gate is quite secure and just lock them at night, with front door it's usually opportunistic thieves that just walk in

We are in a quiet residential cul de sac and feel very safe here.

So are we and so did we until we were robbed.

Yes I once was at my friends and we went upstairs to look at something. We came back down and I picked up my handbag to move it and noticed it felt light. It had everything taken from it. Phone, purse etc. Someone had been in while we were upstairs for 5 minutes and taken things.

If you can open the door from the outside without a key, why wouldn't you lock it?!

I'd suggest changing the lock if I were you so it can't be opened from the outside.

When we got our new door I insisted on it and insisted also on having a thumb turn lock on the inside, so you don't have to be faffing around looking for a key in an emergency.