In an attempt to keep our homes safe we fit security lights and close blinds before going out \u2013 so why do we still undo all that hard work by leaving a set of spare keys outside?<\/p>\n
Whether it\u2019s for their dogwalker, cleaner or mum, nearly 30% of Brits still regularly leave a key hidden outside their home.<\/p>\n
Thieves, who would rather not attract attention by smashing a window if they don\u2019t have to, wised up to our hiding places long ago \u2013 the Association of British Insurers (ABI) says robbers look under doormats, flowerpots and loose bricks first.<\/p>\n
And with burglaries on the rise, it\u2019s not worth chancing it. 55,824 robberies were reported in England and Wales in 2016, up 10% from the year before, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, leaving your key under the doormat or in another insecure location may invalidate your home insurance, leaving you without a payout from your insurer to replace lost items.<\/p>\n
Insurance claims are assessed on individual circumstances so while your claim may be successful depending on your insurer, rounds of appeals could cause delayed payment \u2013 leaving you out of pocket.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Where should you leave your keys?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you need to get your keys to a family member or friend, or just want a spare set in case you lose yours, there are some safer options.<\/p>\n Is your home insurance<\/strong><\/span><\/a> up to date? A quick review by NC Insurance\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><\/a> friendly team can help identify any gaps in your protection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In an attempt to keep our homes safe we fit security lights and close blinds before going out \u2013 so why do we still undo all that hard work by leaving a set of spare keys outside? Whether it\u2019s for their dogwalker, cleaner or mum, nearly 30% of Brits still regularly leave a key hidden […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":1796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[11,7,14],"tags":[87,80],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1795"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4183,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1795\/revisions\/4183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkportfolio.co.uk\/ncinsurance.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n<\/strong>Police-approved key safes require a code to open. Screwed to the outside of your house, these rugged devices are vigorously tested \u2013 only give the code out to people you trust, and change it regularly.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>Available to buy online, smart locks are controlled by a mobile app \u2013 eliminating the need for a key at all. You\u2019ll need to replace all your locks, but on the upside you can give access to trusted people.<\/li>\n
\n<\/strong>If you have a trusted neighbour or nearby friend, leave a spare set of keys with them in case of emergencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n