Holidays are coming! Maybe you're sharing some quality time with family, or looking forward to a change of scenery with friends. Whatever your plans, many of you may be leaving your student housing over the winter break. With targeted burglaries of private student accommodation on the rise in Coventry this winter, it’s more important than ever to make sure that you are doing what you can to protect your room, studio, flat or house when you leave it empty. But never fear! Your SU is here with some top tips to help you have peace of mind this Christmas.

1. Secure, check…and check again! Did you know? A third of burglars get into houses through open windows or doors. Before you leave the house for an extended period of time, triple-check that everything that can be locked or closed is. This includes all windows and your bedroom door. Don’t give thieves the early Christmas present of an easy steal.

2. Keep valuables out of sight! Ideally you should be taking all valuable possessions with you if you are leaving your student accommodation for more than a couple of days. The next best thing would be to consider putting them in a secure storage facility or leaving them with someone trusted who you know will be staying around this holiday. If none of this is possible, make sure you leave expensive items out of sight and easy reach. Put laptops/iPads away in cupboards and pull curtains/blinds so that TV’s or speakers can’t be easily seen through windows.

3. Leave without a trace. You may be super excited to share your holiday plans on socials. But that creative tweet or stunning Insta story detailing where you’re going and how long you’ll be away has the potential to be visible to the world - including thieves. Also make sure to divert or cancel any big or bulky deliveries due to come to your student house while it’s empty. Having things left outside will let people know that there is no-one around to collect them. All clear signals that if someone were to break in, they would likely not get caught.

4. Consider contents insurance. If you live in halls you may already have contents insurance which commonly covers belongings within your student accommodation against the risks of fire, theft and flood. If you live in private accredited housing or have not signed up to an insurance contract you may not have this protection. It’s worth checking and signing up. A small cost of insurance could save you a much larger sum of money in the long term if the worst were to happen. At the very least, consider signing up to The National Property Register for Phones, Gadgets, Bicycles & More... (immobilise.com) where you can register valuable items to make them easier to track and return if they do go missing.

5. And finally?...eat up before you leave! Don’t leave any perishable food in the cupboards or fridge. Coming back to the smell of rotting food will not only be a nasty welcome for you and your housemates – the smell of decay and the parties of rats, mice and flies that it might attract are all clear signs that a house is neglected and therefore…empty. Have a big shared meal before you leave, put food in the freezer, or see if a local foodbank or community kitchen will take any leftovers you may have, leaving your Uni home sparkling clean…all ready for a brand new year!