# Home Insurance and Locked Doors **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414 "2008-10-04T04:07:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/42 "2013-10-07T14:25:03Z")
I don’t see where locked doors matter. I had $2,000+ of silverware stolen by my house cleaner who took it while I was there (but not watching him every single second). The insurance company paid promptly. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/43 "2013-10-07T17:10:32Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > thats impressive! > I have always wondered why people are so concerned about locking doors. I have never heard anyone in a position to know say that it helps. Police always say lock your doors, but never that it helps. My house backs up on a junior high school. I keep my doors locked because I don’t want some bored 14 year olds to decide my house would be a great place to party after school. I have no illusions that locked doors and latched windows are going to keep out anyone that really wants in to my house. I can make it more annoying, and more time consuming (in the hopes that a neighbor or a patrol car will notice) and not worth the risk. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/44 "2013-10-07T18:17:20Z")
I watched _The Bling Ring_ the other day, and it amazed me that people with multimillion dollar houses crammed with expensive goodies, high profile public figures, did not have alarm systems monitored by private security companies. (And… the theives typical entered by finding an unlocked door, usually at the back.) Of course, it says something that Paris Hilton was unaware of being burgled almost a dozen times over several months, until the theives finally made off with a substantial amount of her jewelry. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/45 "2013-10-07T18:32:13Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > It’s strange. IMHO the general perception in the UK is that Americans are more concerned than us (paranoid even?) about security. I suppose it must be the films and TV series where the apartment door has three bolts, spy hole, and a steel frame. > > My home insurance specifies that all windows must have locks and a minimum five lever lock on the doors. If I am burgled, they may well want to see the police report showing forced entry. If I pop down to the shop, leave the front door on the latch, and an opportunistic thief makes off with my computer, I have zero chance of making a successful claim. Very interesting. I have read hundreds of home owner policies around the US, and have never seen one requiring doors or windows to be locked or even closed. I have seen commercial policies that require a monitored security/fire system. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/46 "2013-10-08T18:18:08Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > thats impressive! > I have always wondered why people are so concerned about locking doors. I have never heard anyone in a position to know say that it helps. Police always say lock your doors, but never that it helps. Perhaps not locking doors implies one is so clueless that they won’t miss the property? Anyway, your story is an impressive example of why locking doors will not deter a determined thief. My neighbor across the street awoke one night to find someone in his house. He hadn’t locked his front door. I know of no other neighbor who has had their house broken into since I’ve lived here. My story is an example of how a lot of thieves aren’t very determined. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/47 "2013-10-08T20:05:37Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > I actually asked my insurance guy about this. I drive a Jeep Wrangler soft top and _never_ lock my doors (in fact, I keep my key in the ignition). Reportedly it is illegal to do this in some states, Pennsylvania and Ohio for two. Though it is a minor offense I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/48 "2013-10-08T20:43:30Z")
Zombies also can more easily get in if you don’t lock your doors. This thread is 5 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/49 "2013-10-09T15:38:21Z")
> [@JimR](#): > > Habits are habits. Being able to come from the barn and jump into the truck to go get a load of wood/hay/etc. is also very convenient. For the same reason I don’t know of anyone that takes the key out of their farm machinery (ever). As explained by [Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Wasisname_and_the_Other_Fellers) in _[Da Mower](http://www.doityourself.com/forum/outdoor-gasoline-electric-powered-equipment-small-engines/160673-some-lawnmower-humor.html)_ > [@](#): > > I kept the keys in the ignition. That was a mistake right there, Frankie kept the keys in the ignition so I kept the keys in the ignition. I mean you take them out of the ignition, you’re going to lose 'em, aren’t ya? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/50 "2013-10-09T17:23:58Z")
We used to take scouts camping. One favourite site had a substantial hut in which camping and sports equipment was stored. It was also very useful in wet weather. Unfortunately, due to its isolated position, and the fact that it would be empty a lot of the time, it was rather vulnerable. The building was made of brick, with a tiled roof. The windows were narrow and high up, and had steel plates over them secured by bolts on the inside. The main doors had steel cladding which extended over the frame, and were secured by two 4x4s on the inside. The back door was openable with a key. The five lever key had a shank about 9 or 10" long and it opened a small hatch in the door (also steel lined). This enabled you to put an arm inside and rotate the securing bar which then allowed the door to open. The place was vandalised and set on fire by a gang of youths who stripped the tiles from the roof to get in. ---
**Author:** ![luvrbcs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@luvrbcs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luvrbcs)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/51 "2013-10-09T19:54:49Z")
Our house was robbed 2 years ago while we were away at work. They knocked on the front door and if someone answered they would pretend they were from a lawn service company looking for work. If no answer, they would go around back and check the back door. Ours happened to be unlocked. Apparently, if you would close the door somewhat hard (sliding door) it would bounce back just enough to seem it was latched. We discovered this later. The insurance company paid in full, even after we told them the door must have been unlocked. We even have an alarm system that we used just for fire, now we set the door alarms every day. Insurance company didn’t care. We know the M.O. because this was a fair sized ring that got busted a couple of months later. We got a few things back and the POS got 24 years. A funny thing happened after. About 8 months or so later we we starting to pack for vacation when we couldn’t find our luggage. We figured out they had used the luggage to carry the stuff away. Needless to say, we had to hurry up and buy luggage. ---
**Author:** ![runningdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@runningdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runningdude)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414/52 "2013-10-10T00:49:18Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I always thought that statement was funny. For a while my aunt never locked her house, she said that it wasn’t really neccessary in her area. I always figured that if I wanted to rob a house, I would go to the areas where people didn’t worry about it. Why bother with the crappy parts of town with three dead bolts and bars on the window when I can go to the nice part and just walk in. You are not in a desperate enough, likely drug induced/withdrawn state that makes breaking into a home to steal stuff look like a good idea. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-insurance-and-locked-doors/466414.md?page=2)