The majority of country-dwellers are over confident about their home security which means they neglect property insurance coverage and are susceptible to an increased risk of crime, according to Halifax Home Insurance ‘Latch-Key Index’.
The index revealed that millions of rural homeowners in the UK are not taking adequate steps to protect their homes . The study found that at least one-third of rural households, representing about 3.5 million people, leave their doors unlocked most days, compared to just one in every 10 households living in urban cities. In addition, an estimated eight million of Brits living in rural areas, or 70 percent of countryside-dwellers, do not use a burglar alarm .
However, with countryside crime rising at twice the rate of urban crime, the home insurer is urging rural homeowners to take simple steps to protect themselves against crime. In the last 12 months, one in eight country dwellers was a victim of crime and vandalism (39 percent) and burglary (13 percent) were among the most common incidents.