Lax security costs big
Doors and windows left open over holiday season
AUSSIES have been warned their lax home security habits could cost them thousands as the holiday season rolls in.
News Corp Australia can reveal one in 10 of us openly admit to leaving their windows and doors unlocked when go away, according to a Pure Profile survey, commissioned by Allianz, of more than 1000 Australian adults.
Nearly half of respondents said their blinds and curtains were left wide open to prying eyes, while 66 per cent failed to hide away their valuables. And when it came to setting a precautionary security alarm, only one in five reported doing so.
The alarming research comes after thousands of cases of break-ins were recorded by crime statistics organisations across the country in December 2017 and January 2018.
New South Wales notched 5056, while Victoria recorded 4985. In Queensland there 4516 instances of trespassing and in South Australia,
1095.
A separate YouGov survey of 1000 people revealed almost one in three households were without contents insurance, with over a quarter believing they were at low risk of needing it.
Data from Allianz showed a 25 per cent increase in the average cost of home contents claims in the five years to the end of 2017. But consumers have complained about the expense of the insurance, saying it’s hard to incorporate within their already stretched budgets.
Kate Power, 30, from Sydney was holidaying in New Zealand when her housemates delivered her the devastating news their Woolstencraft apartment had been robbed.
The burglar broke in through a small, sliding window after someone forgot to replace a wooden rod that prevented it being opened any more than a few inches.
“I also felt guilty that my housemate had to deal with the majority of issues,” Ms Power said
“I had jewellery - rings, necklaces and earrings - stolen, along with my cash savings and prescription medication, as well as spare keys to the apartment which meant we had to have the locks changed.”
Ms Power explained she’d had never thoroughly considered contents insurance before the incident occurred.
“I prioritised health insurance over content insurance,” she said.