AIBU to leave the house unlocked when my husband is out late?

[PurpleLovecats]

AIBU to go to bed and leave the house unlocked?

I always do this when DH is out late, figure the dog will bark if anyone enters but my friend is horrified!

That's an internal door

Bonkers. I can’t understand why anyone would do this.

The same principle applies to external doors, its just a generic photo to explain to the PP who asked if doors flap about if they don't have a Yale lock

Oh ok.

Ne er seen an external door like it though

What if you needed to go out unexpectedly when he’s out? Just take a key. Plus the dogs might bark but someone could also harm them..

The police told a neighbour who was burgled (during the day while she was in the house, a front room), that most are opportune ie. The villain just tries many doors just in case one is unlocked.
Therefore, keep your door locked for your own safety.

We are rural, neighbours either side but down a tiny village lane. I don’t often think to lock my door. We didn’t lock it when I was growing up aside from overnight. I had no idea this was so unusual!

Do your insurers know about your ridiculously lax attitude to home security??
You could be invalidating the terms of your policy, not to mention putting yourself in danger.
If all your dog would do is bark, you could be assaulted and hurt.
Madness.

You've really never seen a composite front door? Another random internet photo attached
The handle doors are extremely secure and all over new build houses, obviously you need to lock them for the security benefits😂

Those have locks on not like the other picture you showed so you are just being facetious

My own door is like the middle one. If I shut it inside you can't just open from the outside without a key

So if you go outside say to get something from your car and you close the door behind you it locks without a key and you can't get back in again without unlocking it?

Yes

Op I would have been you 10 years ago, very laissez faire with locking doors, safe area, low crime etc.
Believe me I paid a high price for this, yes I had dogs, and they barked but made no difference. Had a gun to my head, tied up and lucky they didn’t kill the dogs. I got off very lightly compared to some others this gang had burgled. Also had nothing of worth to steal but still.

Took me ages to get over it ( maybe never really). Just lock the door.

Jeepers @Lucylurkery you poor soul, what a horrible experience for you. Best wishes.

Does this poster make you think you may be a bit irresponsible, OP?

Thanks @HotTiredDog . Much better now but too a long time and was also very very hard for husband ( who wasn’t there thank goodness - those that were hurt had the husband there as well). Don’t want to preach at OP but don’t be me !

Yes, that’s what mine is like, so if you go outside to get something from the car, you either put switch up so it can’t close or take the keys with you. Better than leaving your house unlocked though.

Just stop doing this. Use the key box. I genuinely do not know why people take these risks. Burglars entering your house is horrendous.

I have one friend who insists on leaving her house unlocked. I've lost count of the amount of times I've rung the doorbell then wandered in either to find her kids in the room by the front door with her down the back of the garden or nobody home at all.

She insists passionately a locked door makes no difference.

What I find extra crazy about the whole setup is (because I am extra cautious personally due to being burgled in the past) is that when she was pregnant a local man with a drug addiction broke in when they were home entertaining. She happened upon him in the bedroom and dived on top of him holding him down and shouting until her husband burst in and wrestled him to the floor.

I know they now leave their kids at home for short stints as they are age appropriate but I'm worried it's the same open door set up.

I still remain utterly baffled as to why some people proudly take this risk. It takes seconds to lock your door.

I have no idea what you’re wanging on about. Lock your bloody doors, whether you live alone or with 20 Rottweilers.

Well, I just looked at my postcode on https://www.police.uk/pu/your-area/

There's been a vehicle crime. In January. About a mile and a half away from our house. That's it.

So I'm happy to perhaps not spend quite so much time worrying about security and locking doors as I would if I lived in Moss Side.

Reading this thread reminded me of the Richard Ramirez Night Stalker documentary. An adult child asked their parents to lock their doors in their LA home, they refused. Richard Ramirez walked into their home and killed them.

And you’re confident you’d be able to defend yourself against a group of armed men?

Rather than bearing it in mind, take decisive action and lock the door, H takes key. It is utterly stupid to do anything else. A barking dog is neither here nor there. Violent criminals won't give a shit and you're putting yourself in completely avoidable danger.

I wouldn’t risk it and as someone pointed out, it may invalidate your insurance.

Doesn’t your front door automatically lock behind you when you close it? I thought they all did this. Or do you mean the back door? Which I would definitely lock!

Our does that yes - I thought all door locks did that to be honest, so this thread has been a bit of an eyeopener. If you don't want it locked you have to leave the door actually open ie on the latch. They have a lever on the inside but on the outside there is just the keyhole, no lever to turn.

They're made by Banham and pretty much standard on houses where we are.