There are lots of elements about your home that you can change. You can swap out the light fixtures, build out the deck, paint the walls, upgrade the appliances. But one thing you can’t change about your home is its neighborhood. If property crime is a concern where you live, it helps to know where risks stand today: the FBI reports that property crime increased by 7.1% in 2023 (motor vehicle theft +10.9%, larceny-theft +5.8%, burglary +3.2%), then fell sharply by roughly 15% through the first half of 2024 versus the same period in 2023, with vehicle theft down about 17% (FBI 2023 Crime in the Nation; FBI 2024 Q2 update). A standard homeowners policy typically covers theft of personal property and damage caused by a break‑in, but the exact protection depends on your limits, sublimits, and deductibles.
Don’t assume your policy is automatically optimized. Identify coverage gaps, schedule high‑value items, and use the protective‑device discounts most insurers offer. Many carriers provide bill credits for centrally monitored alarms, fire/smoke monitoring, and even water leak detection with automatic shutoff, though eligibility and savings vary by insurer and state filing (Insurance Information Institute). Full credits often require professional monitoring from a UL‑listed central station and proof of installation (UL 827/827A). Proactive security not only reduces the chance of a loss, it can also lower what you pay.
Check Your Policy
The two elements of your policy that come into play after a break‑in are dwelling coverage and personal property coverage.
Dwelling coverage — Also called Coverage A, this pays to repair or rebuild your home when a covered peril (including vandalism from a break‑in) damages the structure, like a shattered window or kicked‑in door.
Limit: The dwelling coverage limit should reflect the full cost to rebuild your home.
Personal property coverage — This protects what’s inside your home. Belongings are covered at either replacement cost (no depreciation) or actual cash value (depreciated value). Replacement cost usually costs more but avoids depreciation hits on electronics and other items.
Limit: Personal property is commonly set at about 50–70% of your dwelling limit, but theft sublimits often apply to high‑theft categories. Jewelry/watches/firearms are frequently capped around $1,000–$2,000 per item or category unless you add scheduled personal property coverage. Scheduling raises limits for specifically listed items (often with appraisals) and can sometimes waive the deductible for those items. In today’s market, many carriers have tightened sublimits and deductibles and may require scheduling for higher‑value items; underwriting has also shifted in harder‑to‑insure or high‑crime areas, with some homeowners routed to FAIR Plans or surplus lines for basic coverage (III: What is a FAIR Plan?; California Sustainable Insurance Strategy).
How to File a Claim After a Break-in
- First things first. If your home has been broken into, you need to contact the police. It’s a crime and needs to be reported, but a police report (with the incident/report number) will also help you during the claims process.
- Contact your insurance agent. Many companies set a time limit on when you can file a claim, so verify your deadline, your deductible, and any documentation or inspection requirements before starting repairs.
- Catalogue the losses and damages with photos and serial numbers. If you already have a home inventory, you’ll speed up verification and settlement.
- Make only the emergency repairs needed to secure the home (board up windows, change locks) and preserve evidence for law enforcement and your adjuster—treat the affected area like a crime scene.
- Save receipts for temporary repairs and extra living costs. If damage makes your home uninhabitable, keep lodging/meal receipts; these may be covered under Loss of Use/Additional Living Expense, subject to your policy.
Making a Claim Will Raise Your Rates
Where you live (including neighborhood crime levels) already influences your base premium. A theft or break‑in claim can increase it further, and the impact depends on the type and number of claims and your state’s rules. Recent market analyses indicate a typical double‑digit increase—often around 20%–30%—after a single homeowners claim, with larger increases for liability/dog‑bite and non‑weather water claims; multiple claims within a few years can trigger steep surcharges or even nonrenewal (Forbes Advisor). Claims history is shared across insurers via the C.L.U.E. Property database for up to seven years (LexisNexis C.L.U.E.), which can affect both pricing and eligibility.
A single claim can raise what you pay for several renewals, and filing a second claim within three to five years can lead to larger surcharges or nonrenewal under many guidelines. Even if your insurer doesn’t apply a formal surcharge, you may lose a claim‑free discount, which still increases your bill (NAIC consumer resources). According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurers closely track both frequency and type of losses when evaluating risk. Ask your agent to estimate the total multi‑year premium impact before filing a smaller claim.
Make Your Home a Difficult Target
Security Practices
After securing your home, consider habits that influence risk. Vary your routines, keep vehicles in a garage when possible, and avoid leaving packaging or valuables visible from the street. When traveling, place mail on hold, use timed lighting, and wait to share trip photos until you’re back. For connected devices, enable two‑factor authentication, keep firmware auto‑updates on, and use strong Wi‑Fi security (WPA3 where available); segment IoT devices on a separate network where you can (OWASP IoT).
Property crime rates are best tracked through official data. Nationally, the FBI reports a 7.1% rise in property crime in 2023, followed by a broad decline of roughly 15% through the first half of 2024 versus the prior year’s period. The FBI defines property crime as burglary, larceny‑theft, and motor vehicle theft (arson is tracked separately). For the most current city‑level figures, consult the FBI Crime Data Explorer; for nationally representative household victimization rates (including unreported incidents), see the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Criminal Victimization, 2024.
Cities that frequently rank high on property‑crime rates (not a current 2024 ranking—verify in the FBI Crime Data Explorer)
- Oakland, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Denver, CO
- Albuquerque, NM
- Memphis, TN
- Portland, OR
- St. Louis, MO
- Tulsa, OK
- Verify current leaders and agency rates directly in the FBI Crime Data Explorer
Security measures
The best single investment to deter and document break‑ins is a modern home security system. Current systems increasingly use on‑device AI to distinguish people, vehicles, and packages and to cut false alerts; Consumer Reports’ 2025 testing highlights differences in false‑alert filtering, encryption, and local storage among leading brands (Consumer Reports). For monitored systems, industry standards like TMA‑AVS‑01 help monitoring centers score alarm confidence for better police response, and ASAP‑to‑PSAP integrations can transmit alarms directly into 911 CAD systems to reduce delays (TMA‑AVS‑01; ASAP‑to‑PSAP). If you choose professional monitoring, ask whether the provider is UL 827/827A listed and supports video verification (UL 827A).
Day‑to‑day steps still matter: lock doors and windows, keep shrubs trimmed for clear sightlines, and use motion‑activated or smart lighting. Favor devices that support Matter/Thread for reliable, low‑power sensors and locks, and look for the FCC’s U.S. Cyber Trust Mark on connected gear to signal baseline cybersecurity practices (Connectivity Standards Alliance: Matter; U.S. Cyber Trust Mark; OWASP IoT Top 10).
Insurance companies offer discounts to policyholders who invest in home security
- Centrally monitored burglar/fire alarm (often UL‑listed monitoring required) → up to roughly 15–20% in many markets; documentation/monitoring certificate usually required; actual credits vary by insurer and state filing (III).
- Basic devices (smoke detectors, deadbolts, local alarms) → commonly around 5% when recognized by the carrier; credits and caps differ by company/state (III; Bankrate).
Security Practices
After securing your home, consider habits that influence risk. Vary your routines, keep vehicles in a garage when possible, and avoid leaving packaging or valuables visible from the street. When traveling, place mail on hold, use timed lighting, and wait to share trip photos until you’re back. For connected devices, enable two‑factor authentication, keep firmware auto‑updates on, and use strong Wi‑Fi security (WPA3 where available); segment IoT devices on a separate network where you can (OWASP IoT).
Property crime rates are best tracked through official data. Nationally, the FBI reports a 7.1% rise in property crime in 2023, followed by a broad decline of roughly 15% through the first half of 2024 versus the prior year’s period. The FBI defines property crime as burglary, larceny‑theft, and motor vehicle theft (arson is tracked separately). For the most current city‑level figures, consult the FBI Crime Data Explorer; for nationally representative household victimization rates (including unreported incidents), see the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Criminal Victimization, 2024.
Cities that frequently rank high on property‑crime rates (not a current 2024 ranking—verify in the FBI Crime Data Explorer)
- Oakland, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Denver, CO
- Albuquerque, NM
- Memphis, TN
- Portland, OR
- St. Louis, MO
- Tulsa, OK
- Verify current leaders and agency rates directly in the FBI Crime Data Explorer