If you've recently (or not so recently) moved into a new home and didn't change the locks, you could be setting yourself up for an unpleasant experience. A UK article, Spare Keys Undermine Home Security, notes that people often give away spare keys to friends and family but don't always bother to reclaim them when they move. If you move into a house that's had three owners and the locks have never been changed, imagine how many people might have keys to your home. It's even a good idea to change the locks when moving into a new apartment. It's not something landlords usually bother with, but the article notes, "Seven per cent of tenants do not return their spare keys when moving out, increasing the possibility that a stranger has access to your house."
Changing the locks is a simple DIY project that can be done in a day. Maybe it's time for a trip to the hardware store...
We made the mistake of not changing our locks when we moved into our new condo (new to us but there's no telling how many people had lived there since the building was built in the 70s) and we had a break-in the week after moving. There's no way to prove it was the previous owners, but we do know the burglars had a key to the door lock because nothing was forced and we'd locked up before leaving (windows too). They even left a big muddy foot print on the tiles just inside the door. Grrr. We lost a lot of valuables. Now we've changed the lock but you know what they say about closing the barn door after the horse has escaped...
Posted by: Totally true | November 01, 2006 at 05:11 PM