BE SECURITY AWARE: The majority of thefts from private homes happen when personal property has been left unattended or the unit/house is not properly secured. Consider insuring your personal belongings for the duration of your stay.

1. WHEN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO RENT

To minimise the risk of having your home broken into check that:

all doors have strong working locks
all the windows have some type of lock, preferably keyed (necessary if you wish to insure your belongings)
ground floor windows are protected by security bars

If you see a property you would like to rent but the security is not adequate try to negotiate with the agent/owner to have reasonable security put in place. If the agent/owner agrees to the installation of extra security devices make sure that:

the security devices are installed before you sign any agreement/lease or,
if you are signing an agreement/lease before they are installed have details of the security devices agreed upon and a date by which they are to be installed written in the agreement
have clear agreement about who is paying for the extra security, you or the agent/landlord

2. AFTER YOU HAVE MOVED INTO YOUR NEW HOME

Get all your flatmates together and make an effort to reach an agreement on general rules for keeping your home and possessions safe. Some suggested safety tips are:

all windows and doors to be locked when everyone is out
last person to leave home each day to check that all windows and doors are secure
exterior doors to be kept locked even when you are at home
leave a radio on when out during the day
leave a light and radio on when out in the evening
clear your mailbox regularly
only residents of the flat to have keys/passes to the building and flat

3. ONGOING SECURITY IN YOUR HOME

To make sure that you continue to live in a secure home contact the agent/owner immediately if any of the following occur:

lights not working in stairways and hallways
exterior lights not working
locks /latchesdon't work on windows or doors
faulty locks/latches on self-closing doors
broken glass in windows or doors

If the problem is not rectified within a reasonable time put the request in writing, refer to the date you originally made the request, and keep a copy for your records.

4. SECURING PERSONAL BELONGINGS

Do not leave articles of value, e.g. computers where they can be seen if someone looks in a window
Do not keep cash at home
Avoid leaving ATM cards and credit cards at home. Never keep PIN details with your cards
Keep serial numbers and/or photo records of expensive items, such as computers, cameras, videos, televisions, for identification purposes
Don't discuss your valuables with other people. You never know who might overhear

Engraving personal property or marking it with an indelible marker helps protect your personal property. Engraving property with your family name and UNSW student ID will help:

identify you as the owner of the property should it be lost or stolen
reduce its potential resale value
make it highly undesirable for a thief to possess since it clearly does not belong to them
ensure that law enforcement can identify the owner as belonging to a member of the UNSW community if the property is recovered

ISS have an electric engraver for student use. It is easy and safe to operate and you only need to show your UNSW Student ID and leave a AUD$20 dollar returnable deposit.