Does my insurance policy cover theft and burglary?

With the crime rate rising, it's more important than ever to understand both how to prevent theft and burglary, as well as what coverage you have if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of dealing with the aftermath. This article covers both, and will answer some common questions, including those that you may have about your insurance coverage.

Australia has the sixth highest rate of burglary in the world, with 65% of break-ins involving some form of theft. This equates to about 2% of homes experiencing a break-in during the last financial year according to the ABS. This rate is up from the 2020-21 financial year, but down in comparison to previous years.

Put simply, this means that while burglary isn't super common, it is still common enough that you'll want to take measures to protect yourself and your family.

The simplest way to answer this question is that robbery involves violence or the threat of violence. Burglary, on the other hand, is simply entering a home with the intention to steal belongings from it.

Robberies can be armed or unarmed and are a more serious crime than burglary, however, both carry tough sentences.

The answer to this question will depend on your specific policy. While most do include at least some form of coverage for burglary in terms of damage to your home incurred during the break in, you will generally need additional contents insurance if you want your belongings to be covered. Adding additional home security can increase your chances of coverage, however, more than a quarter of Aussies don't have any type of system in place.

The only way to be sure of what you are and aren't covered for in terms of burglary and theft is to check your specific insurance policy. Most home owners will have their home and contents insurance in one bundled product, so you can find this information within the PDS. Those with separate policies will need to check both.

If you fall into the over 25% of Aussies mentioned above who do not have a home security system, check out our piece on boosting home security on a budget to improve both your security and the amount of assistance your insurance may be willing to provide.

This one is also dependent on your policy but in most cases it would be considered negligence on your part and therefore you would not be covered. Homeowners have a responsibility to ensure that their home and belongings are kept secure at all times, and failure to do so will generally result in their policy being void. It is important to note that even if your policy does cover break-ins completed with a spare key, they will be the ones who decide whether your key was appropriately hidden which leaves you vulnerable even if you are covered on paper. 

Leaving your home unlocked and unattended isn't a good idea anyway, and all spare keys should be both properly hidden and protected with a lock box of some variety.

While theft and burglary aren't super common in Australia, it's still a good idea to take steps to protect yourself, your family and your belongings.

To help with this, we've put together the below list of security ideas, complete with resources to help you make an informed decision about what's best for your situation.

Unless someone is breaking into your home to steal a specific item, they're most likely just going to collect as many valuables as they can and make their exit. Not only is this damaging to your budget, but many valuables are also often sentimental, so it's important to do your best to protect them by investing in a quality home safe.

If you don’t have a safe, we also have a guide on where to hide valuables in the home, but you know your home best, so don't be afraid to get creative with your hiding spots.

Security cameras can be an excellent deterrent to would-be thieves, and they can also make it easier to catch the perpetrator if they do still break in.

Check out the articles below for more information on how to choose the right security cameras for your home and get your system set up:

• Best Home Security Cameras for 2023
• Dome vs. Bullet Security Cameras: Which is Best For You?
• Best Cheap Security Cameras (Under $150)

Another way to help secure your home against burglary is to install smart locks. Keys can be lost, stolen or cut and once compromised, your home is too. Smart locks also tend to be harder to break and where a manual lock can be picked, they must be hacked or suitably disabled.

Plus, the added bonus of not having to worry about taking your keys with you everywhere can provide extra peace of mind in general.

Sensor lights aren't just great for alerting you if someone enters your property without permission, they're also a fantastic and highly recommended safety feature for your yard.

By adding motion sensor lights to your property you'll be able to see exactly what you're doing and they'll hopefully scare off anyone who isn't meant to be there.

Finally, when a household is on holiday, thieves see this as an opportune moment to strike. An unguarded home is an easy target, so you want to do everything in your power to make your home appear lived in while you're gone. We've also got some other tips for keeping your home safe while on holiday and the piece is definitely worth a read if you're going away.

Crime and theft rates are rising, so protecting yourself is more important than ever. Hopefully this article has helped you find some strategies to put in place so you can prevent burglary, and cleared up any insurance questions you may have had in the event that it does unfortunately occur.