The Christmas season is all about relaxing, having fun at the beach or bach and making treasured memories with family and friends.

However, summer holidays can be a peak period for break and enters as opportunistic burglars take advantage of vacant properties while people are away, as well as homes brimming with Yuletide gifts.

Homeowners in smaller cities should not be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking burglars only target larger city residents. The risk of being burgled is not linked to a centre’s population size, according to the latest AucklandCCTV risk report[1]. 

Despite being New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland ranked just 11th in the country for burglary risk, with 13 burglaries per 1,000 residents [2]over the past 12 months. Christchurch was ranked eight with 15.6 burglaries per 1000 residents and Wellington 17th with 7.6 burglaries per 1000 residents, AucklandCCTV research showed.

Rotorua topped the list with a rate of 22.9 yearly burglaries per 1,000 residents, a rate nearly double that of Auckland, perhaps reflecting the struggles experienced in communities recovering economically from COVID’s impact on tourism. In second place was Hastings in the Hawkes Bay, with 21.3 burglaries per 1,000 residents over the last 12 months. 

So, how can homeowners try to make sure the only “uninvited” guest in their home this festive season is a jolly man in a red suit? Here at Raine & Horne we have provided some simple steps to keep your property safe and deter would-be burglars.

Visible and hard to reach security cameras, motion sensor lighting and an alarm system whose presence is advertised on front-facing doors and windows are effective ways to deter intruders year-round, as well as the holiday season.  

If these security systems will break the budget, there are many other simple and more affordable ways to keep burglars at bay. 

• Don’t post pictures of gifts on social media, and don’t post your whereabouts if you are on holidays. Thieves can use information gleaned from social media, such as Facebook status updates, to target homes.
• Make your home look like someone is there, even if it’s empty. Activities to achieve this include stopping newspaper and mail deliveries, getting a neighbour to collect mail and put your bins out on bin night, parking a car on your driveway so it looks like someone is home and using timers to turn interior and exterior lights on and off at night.  
• Make sure you securely lock your garage and garden shed so burglars can’t use the tools and ladders inside to access your home. 
• Even though it may be warm and muggy don’t leave windows open in empty rooms. Use strong window locks and metal or wooden rods to secure sliding windows or doors. 
• The cardinal rule of home security is to never hide a key outside your home. Give it to a trusted neighbour or friend instead, as thieves know to look for keys under pot plants and other hiding spots.

Whether you want to rent, let, sell or buy a property, don’t hesitate to contact your local Raine & Horne office. 

[1] New Zealand Burglary Risk by City - 2024 report - Auckland CCTV