What to do after a burglary?

What to do after a burglary?

When you have experienced a burglary it can be a worrying and scary time. As much as you might like to get your house back to normal, it's important to not move anything that may be deemed as evidence.

Don’t touch anything

As tempting as it may be to try to restore some order in your home, it is a crime scene. At first, you should leave everything as you found it when you discovered you were burgled.

Take photos

Take photos of damage and furniture or belongings that have been interfered with. The photos will come in handy if you submit an insurance claim. Take pictures of anything you believe has been damaged, the more pictures you take, the better.

Where to report burglary?

Ring 101, only use 999 if it’s an emergency, and explain what has happened. The police will give you a crime reference number, which your insurance provider will ask for if you submit a claim. Unfortunately, a police incident number is not sufficient to give to your insurer.

Work out what’s been stolen

Consider looking for the following items of high-importance or high-value, such as:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Bank cards
• Mobile phones
• House keys
• Car keys

Depending on what has been stolen, you may need to cancel accounts or contracts. For example, if your debit card has been stolen, you will need to let your bank know as soon as possible. This is something that you may be able to do on your mobile banking app, but this varies amongst providers. It is also important to let the police know if identity documents have been taken and change locks.

Can I claim on my home insurance?

Check your insurance policy documents to see if you are covered for home burglary and see if there are any conditions that may affect the claim you can make.

Call your insurer to submit your claim. Have your policy number, crime reference number, date and time of the burglary ready to give your insurer to speed up the process.

Is burglary covered under home insurance?

In most cases, home insurance policies will cover burglary. Although, you would need to check with your insurance provider to see if your policy includes cover for contents.

Find evidence of owning items

If you are submitting an insurance claim, it’s important to be able to prove that you owned the items that have been taken. Evidence can include receipts, bank statements listing purchases or photos.

It’s also helpful for the police and your insurer if you can tell them the serial numbers, IMEI numbers, etc. for items that have been stolen.

How can I help protect my home?

Opportunist thieves may see a home that has already been burgled as an easy target, so it’s important to make sure doors and windows, and any other points of entry, are closed off.

You may also want to think about increasing the security on your home for the future to make it as burglar-proof as possible by installing an alarm system such as CCTV or outside lights if you don’t already have them.

Get support

Being burgled can be very distressing but there is support out there if you feel you need it. Call the charity Victim Support, who are there to talk and advise you on how to move forward.

If your home insurance is due for renewal, take a look at our home insurance page.