Burglary reduction campaigns - information for accommodation providers

 

 

We work closely with our partner organisations to help raise awareness of important, relevant issues that can impact on students and private student accommodation providers. As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety in accredited properties, we continue to promote our burglary reduction campaigns which all incorporate our key safety messages and aim to raise awareness amongst students.
 

We distribute campaign materials to students in our office and at events we attend, as well as through messages we share on our social media platforms.

 

If you are a LSH accredited accommodation provider and would like any of our campaign materials, please email LSH@liverpool.ac.uk or call 0151 794 3296.

 

 

Now Lock The Door!

 

 

Look out for our door stickers and key rings reminding your tenants to use their keys to lock UPVC doors properly.

 

Top tips for keeping homes secure:

  • Lock all external doors even when you are at home. When you go out close all windows.
  • If any locks are faulty, speak to your landlord to get them fixed.
  • Be careful who you let into the communal areas and don't let people follow you into the property if you don't know who they are.
  • Don't leave your valuables on show.
  • Don't leave the packaging from expensive goods you have bought outside next to your bin, instead take it to a recycling bin or to the tip.
  • If there is access at the back of the property, always make sure that gates are locked and fences are secure.
  • Leaving for the holidays? Take your valuables with you or arrange to leave them with friends or family until you return.

Your tenants can register their valuables on www.immobilise.com, where they can record all of the serial numbers of their goods. If they are stolen the Police will work with second hand stores to try and retrieve their belongings.

 

LSH provides accredited accommodation providers with stickers which can be placed on internal doors and windows. The intention of the stickers is to provide a permanent reminder to tenants to keep windows and doors secured. Leaflets and key fobs are also available for tenants, and we distribute these at events we attend throughout the year.

 

 

Now Secure The Window!

 

 

Don't invite unwanted guests into your home by leaving your windows unsecured. Thieves operate day and night.

 

Opening the windows to ventilate a home is important to prevent mould and damp. Secure your UPVC window by only opening to the first stage locking point. If you leave the room or the house, secure fully by locking the window with the key.

 

We advise students to speak to their accommodation provider if they are unsure about how to use the first stage locking point, or if keys are missing.

 

As part of the LSH terms of accreditation, accommodation providers should ensure that all ground floor windows should be fitted with window restrictors, with the exception of escape windows or where the Local Authority or Fire Authority have determined they should not be fitted.

 

 

Tailgating

 

 

Tailgating into buildings has been a historic issue and following consultation with providers in the city, LSH working with accredited private halls to continue to raise awareness amongst the student community of this problem. We have previously sent our tailgating campaign packs out to LSH accredited private halls across the city, which includes two varieties of our poster campaign, allowing providers to choose which they feel would be most appropriate for the development. The pack also includes leaflets to be displayed on noticeboards and across building.

 

The key message to students is - 'If you don't know the person who is walking in behind you, then don't hold the door open for them or give them an easy way in!'

 

This is an issue all year round, but particularly during busy moving in and moving out periods, including freshers, where students will have lots of valuables on show. Students are advised that if they suspect any intruders then they should report them immediately to a member of the on-site halls staff or by calling the emergency number for your building.

 

 

No 'To Let' Signs

 

Do you really need 'To Let' signs to advertise your accommodation?  

 

In partnership with Merseyside Police and CitySafe, we make recommendation to all LSH accredited providers that they do not display 'To Let' signs outside of their student properties. If you own or manage rented properties in the Smithdown Road area of the student market you will be familiar with the scheme introduced locally to stop 'To Let' signs being displayed. 

 

Whilst a large percentage of accommodation providers view this as detrimental to their marketing activities, it would be hard to disagree that the area as a whole looks and feels like a more established community without streets of advertising boards. 

 

The endless 'To Let' signs were deemed by local policing as highlighting student properties as an easy target for burglars.

 

The perception of 'To Let' signs in an area are:

 

  • They provide opportunist burglars with an easy means of identifying student accommodation.
  • Numerous boards have a negative impact on the street scene.

Our 'No To Let Signs' campaign is aimed at highlighting accredited properties where the accommodation provider has guaranteed NOT to use 'To Let' signs. The property advert will include the No To Let Signs Guaranteed stamp mark, shown below.