Making your home as secure as possible is obviously important from a personal safety point of view, but it could also cost you money if it isn’t up to scratch.
Home Insurance providers expect you to provide a minimum level of security, and what they require changes depending on where you live (burglary rates vary from area to area), who your insurance provider is, and the type of cover you opt for.
If the types of locks you have on Doors and Double Glazed Windows don’t meet the standard your policy indicates you need, or they are poorly maintained, or worse still not even used, then you risk your insurer rejecting any claims.
If, for example, you live in a higher risk crime area, your policy might stipulate locks with meet a certain standard are fitted for you to be insured.
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In most cases insurers look favourably on those who have high quality locks and security systems, such as burglar alarms, and will offer lower premiums than for those that don’t.
So better security can save you cash, as well as potentially from having your house ransacked.
When you apply for cover, insurers may ask you what types of locks you have on any Outside Doors including Porches, Conservatories and Patio Doors such as sliding doors or French Doors. They will also ask about locks on other accessible windows such as Bay Windows or Sash Windows.
Here are the main types available, with the benefits, or otherwise, of each:
This is the most secure type of lock in general use as it has at least five locking levers which drive into a pocket, or pockets, in the door or window frame where the lock is fitted.
Your insurer may insist that your five-lever lock conforms to the correct British Standard (usually BS 3621).
Additionally you may get a discount if all your ground floor and exit doors and windows have this type of lock fitted.
These are the next best type of locks to five-lever systems. They have three locking points and are common on most uPVC Doors and Windows.
The night latch, or dead latch as it is also called, contains a spring bolt which can be locked, or deadlocked, by a key or other method.
These are commonly fitted to many Front Doors, but don’t offer a particularly high level of protection if they’re the only lock fitted to a door.
If you only have a simple key-operated lock on external facing doors, or just a nightlatch, your insurer may insist on you also having bolts fitted.
Many insurers will insist that you have key-operated window locks, or at least some other form of security lock, on all downstairs windows.
Window locks are usually fitted at either the top or bottom of the window, or on the closing handle.
A specific mention should also be made of French Doors, as you must ensure that these are fitted not only with key-operated locks, but also key-operated mortice rack bolts at the top and bottom of both doors.
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