Looking after your room/flat

Make sure your front door is strong. It should be as strongly built as the main outside door of the block. If it isn't, get another one or ask your local council/landlord to do it. Fit hinge bolts, which stop someone pulling the door from its hinges. And fix a special steel strip into the doorframe.
If your block does not have a telephone entry system, talk to the landlord or council about putting one in. This may be easier if you get together with other tenants to form a tenants' association. If you do have a telephone entry system, don't let strangers in or hold the door open for someone who is arriving as you are leaving.

Side Passage

Stop a thief getting to the back of the house – where he can work with less chance of being seen – by fitting a strong, high gate across the passage. If you share an alleyway with a neighbour, talk to him or her about sharing the cost.

If you live in student halls of residence, a bedsit or some other type of shared accommodation, you should try to follow all the home security measures mentioned. You also need to be careful to keep your room locked when you go out to use the kitchen or bathroom. Don't leave keys in your door, or lying about in any common rooms. Avoid putting your name or room number on your key ring in case it gets lost or stolen.
Never leave cash or valuables on open view in your room; lock them out of sight. Try to limit the amount of jewellery or electrical equipment you keep with you. Don’t leave laptops in view on ground floor rooms, and especially not near windows. Thieves have been known to break windows to snatch the laptop.
Always lock main entrance doors behind you. Try to avoid letting anyone you don't know into the building along with you. Be aware of any strangers around the corridors to the building, and report any suspicious activity to the caretaker, porter, security staff, or the police.

The best defences against a doubtful caller are a viewer or spy hole in the door and a stout door chain. Remember; if in doubt keep them out.
Always make sure that visitors are who they say they are. If they say they are from the police, gas, or electricity board, ask to see their identity card. Check it by ringing their local office. Don't use a number on their card but look it up in the phone book. If you are concerned or worried, ring the police.
Don't let the caller stop you doing these things by saying he or she is in a hurry. A genuine caller won't mind waiting outside with the door closed while you ring. Remember to keep the door chain on until you are sure your caller is genuine.
Be wary of salespeople and cold callers who call unannounced and try to persuade you to spend your money on anything. Remember nothing is that cheap!
Always seek advice from an independent source. Never sign anything on the spot. Also remember legally you have seven days to change your mind, so be wary of people who want to start work immediately. By law traders must tell you about the cooling off period and give you a notice explaining how to cancel – most don’t! If you are at all concerned you should contact Trading Standards on 0845 051 0845 and they will help you deal with the trader.

If your possessions are worth a lot of money or you live in an area with a lot of burglaries, you should consider a burglar alarm or a safe. Ranging from inexpensive DIY kits to sophisticated systems costing hundreds of pounds, there are scores of burglar alarms on the market. Quality fitted alarms will certainly be a deterrent to burglars. Easily installable 'wire-free' alarms are now available whereby sensors fitted around the house transmit radio detection signals to a control system. These systems usually take 3–4 hours to fit. Wired alarms are cheaper but take longer - around a day - to install.
Get specialist advice and a number of quotes. Consult your insurance company for the companies they recommend. The system installed should meet BS4737 (professionally installed) or BS6707 (DIY).

Good lighting can deter a thief. Some exterior lights have light sensors or an infra-red sensor that switches the light on for a short time when it detects something in its range. Sensors can be bought separately to convert an existing outdoor light into a security one. This is a good inexpensive way to protect your property. Lighting of this type is available from all DIY stores from as little as £15 per light.