Following the release of Home Office figures in January 09 showing a significant increase in burglaries, the UK's leading insurance provider for the lettings industry HomeLet is urging tenants to make sure their possessions are properly insured.
The figures, published in January, showed a 4 per cent increase in domestic burglary between July and September last year compared with the same three months in 2007 and gave the first official indications that the economic downturn has coincided with signs of rising crime.
Managing Director of HomeLet John Boyle said: "It is unfortunate but not surprising that as the recession deepens and unemployment rises there has been an increase in the number of burglaries.
"We would always advise tenants to take out specialist insurance, as it can also cover them for accidental damage, but in the light of these figures from the Home Office it is more important than ever that tenants are adequately insured."
"Conventional home contents policies will give a basic degree of cover for most insured perils but are not specifically designed for tenants and there can be some major gaps in the cover they need."
"Conventional home contents policies will give a basic degree of cover for most insured perils but are not specifically designed for tenants and there can be some major gaps in the cover they need."
As well as protecting the contents of the property against theft by forcible means, HomeLet's Tenant's Contents Insurance can also cover tenants should they accidentally spill a glass of red wine on the carpet or burn the kitchen worktop for example.
Many people don't realise that if they're living in a rented property their landlord can take the cost of the repairs for damage to the contents, building, fixtures and fittings out of their deposit.
There are countless examples of tenants who have experienced a loss or damage to the property through, burglary, fire, flood or other insured risks and have been horrified to discover they have been left with the cost of replacing the items themselves.
A new £1.6million national crime prevention campaign has been launched on the 17th February by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
The adverts will appear in national and regional newspapers, television and radio over the next eight weeks.
They will carry simple messages about how the public can make their homes safer and protect themselves from opportunistic criminals with the strapline "Lets Keep Crime Down". According to the British Crime Survey 36 per cent of burglaries occur in properties with unlocked doors and windows and this new campaign aims to make people aware of the very simple steps they can take to protect their homes and valuables.
The new campaign is part of government action aimed at helping people to increase their personal security and avoid becoming victims of crime during the economic downturn.
It uses materials from the successful Let's Keep Crime Down campaign, which won an Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Gold Award in 2008 for demonstrating advertising effectiveness.
The launch follows the burglary summit held at the Home Office on 4 February, which saw representatives from the public, private and voluntary sector meet to discuss practical ways they could help.
Source: Homelet and The Home Office
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