Leaving Your Student Accommodation Empty Over Christmas

The Christmas holidays are close meaning most students will be going home. But before you head back for the festive break, make sure you take the time to ensure your student accommodation is safe and secure.

Christmas Tree

There are a number of simple ways to ensure that your home is secure over the festive break (and nice for your return).

 

Heating:

It is always best to leave the heating system on over the Christmas period. The heating should be left on a low setting for a few hours a day. If the heating is turned off, it could lead to frozen pipes which may eventually burst. This could cause flooding which would not make a nice return back.

 

Locks:

Make sure all doors and windows are locked before you leave the property. If you know who the last person will be to leave the property, ask them to go around the whole property and double check all windows and doors are locked. If bedrooms have their own locks on, make sure these are also locked.

 

Lighting:

To help protect your property from burglars, it is best to make a house look occupied. Plug-in timers can be plugged in to lamps so that they turn on and off during set times. This will give the impression that someone is living inside the property.

 

Electricals:

All electrical appliances should be turned off and unplugged. Although it may be annoying to remember to plug everything back in when you return, it can save you a few pennies.

 

Valuables:

Taking your valuables home with you is the best way to ensure that they stay safe. However, if you are not taking them with you, keep your valuables out of site (TV, laptop, tablets, purses).

 

Food and Bins:

Take a few minutes to clear out any food that is more than likely to go out of date. You will not want to come back to mouldy food and bad smells. It is also advisable to empty the bins before you leave the property. 

 

Washing up:

Make sure you wash all your dishes before you leave. Coming home to dirty dishes and no clean cups will be the last thing that you want. 

 

Most Importantly..

Avoid over publicising on social media that the property will be empty. 

You can never be too sure of who is seeing and watching your posts.

Warning triangle

Warning triangle