People are arguing about whether it's safe or 'too cautious' to lock the door when you're at home

Home security might not be a top-of-mind concern in your daily life, especially if you reside in a safe neighborhood with low crime rates. However, you would expect that people generally remember to lock their doors as a basic precaution.

Naturally, when you're leaving your home unattended for any duration, locking up becomes a habit for almost everyone. But what about when you or your family are actually inside the house?

One woman has sparked a debate online after she revealed that her husband had criticized her for locking the front door while inside their home.

On the MumsNet forum, a woman shared that she often locks the front door while she's at home, though not consistently. Her partner has jokingly commented on her somewhat obsessive behavior about it, and she herself feels she might be overly cautious.

She explained that they reside in a pleasant suburb with a very low crime rate. Nonetheless, she knows of incidents where people entered homes through unlocked front doors during daylight, even when the occupants were present, and stole belongings. She mentioned that such experiences were quite frightening, particularly for an elderly person living alone. Although this has only occurred a couple of times in the 12 years they've lived there, she prefers to be safe rather than sorry.

The woman clarified that her front door is secured with a key rather than a latch, but she leaves the key inside the lock for quick access during emergencies. She ensures to lock the door whenever they are in the back garden or upstairs, or if she leaves her (now adult) children at home while they are upstairs.

Her husband and children sometimes find her precautions excessive, considering the low crime rate in their area, and they don't believe it's truly necessary. She doesn't want to instill fear in her children without reason. Nonetheless, she chooses to continue locking the front door as a precautionary measure.

The woman's decision to lock her house sparked differing opinions among commenters. One person shared, "During the day, I don't lock our door unless I leave my teenagers home alone."

Another commenter raised concerns about safety implications, stating, "Locking the door might pose a potential risk in emergencies like fires. It's essential to strike a balance between security and ensuring a quick exit in case of a fire or other hazards like electrical faults or kitchen fires."

A third individual contributed, "In my opinion, the likelihood of needing a quick exit outweighs the possibility of someone breaking in while you're at home. Besides, breaking into a house while occupants are inside is a high-risk, low-reward crime for burglars. So, I'm not overly concerned about it."

Another person remarked, "I find it surprising that people keep their doors locked while they are at home. Personally, I think it's a bit excessive. When we go out, sometimes we leave the door unlocked if we won't be gone for long."

Others agreed with the original poster, adding: "[You are not being unreasonable], I do it to. There are plenty of pros to doing this, and as far as I can see no cons", while another wrote: "Yes of course. You'd have to be a b***dy idiot to not lock your door," and: "I always lock my door. I thought most people did."

One user, who is an avid true crime fan, explained: "Always keep mine locked! Why on Earth wouldn’t you? Draw back of locking it…none. Possible draw back of not…? Theft/being murdered! I listen to way too many true crime podcasts to swan around with an unlocked door," while another wrote: "I always lock mine too! Can't see any reason not to. Why make it easy for passing chancers to get in?"

Someone also pointed out that not having the door locked could invalidate your home insurance claim in the event that someone did break in to rob the place.

"I amazes me there are people who DON'T have their door perpetually locked. Might want to check the small print in your home and contents insurance," they advised.

While the chances of someone walking into your unlocked house are pretty low, it's always a possibility so it's better to be safe than sorry and lock the door - just make sure you also have a quick and accessible way of escaping should an emergency such as a fire occur inside.

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