University towns = Crime hotspots

It goes without saying that areas popular with students are also areas, which can be the target of crime. Aside from the obvious drunken shenanigans of students making sculptures at 3am with traffic cones, stealing road signs as souvenirs or being sick in the street the main focus of this feature is to highlight the danger or burglary and street robbery.

Areas of housing will differ as will the level of protection from neighbourhood watch schemes and ‘curtain twitchers', but the following simple steps can help to prevent crime.

•  Insurance:
Considering the typical range of goods that students bring to university including computers or laptops, IPods, stereos, CDs, clothing and books you would assume that home insurance would be of top priority, but it is often overlooked or ever forgotten. Having your house broken into can be a distressing time, but what if the items that were stolen were not covered? Unthinkable.

•  Get friendly with your neighbours:
If you respect your neighbours, they will respect you. Playing music until midnight will not do you any favours, but if you have a good relationship with your neighbours then chances are they will look after your student house whilst you are away.

•  Keep goods out of sight:
Although difficult to achieve in a ground floor property the ability to keep items including laptops, DVDs and CDs out of sight can reduce the risk of opportunists and burglary. The same can also be said of street robbery. Keep goods out of sight, and be careful with large amounts of cash, particularly at night.

•  Locks:
Speak to your landlord or letting agency regarding any security concerns that you might before installing any extra locks or alarms yourself. Not only will you be liable for any damage to the property as a result of your dodgy DIY but landlords will often be more than happy to pay or at least share the cost of extra locks, which can add to the rental value of the property as well as deterring opportunists.

•  House Hunting:
When looking for a new student house its worth noting that maisonette (first floor properties) can be more secure than renting the ground floor. Also look out for properties with alarms and windows locks, as these small additions can make the difference and are often worth paying more for.

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