Press Room

Neighbourhood Trust Offers Minimal Home Insurance
(07 June 2005)

Trusting our neighbours with the keys to our homes is a thing of the past according to a new survey by NatWest Insurance Services, which found that only half of Brits actually hand over their keys to their neighbours and let them have access to their home whilst they are away. That said, over three-quarters of the population still feel confident asking their neighbours to keep a close eye on their home whilst away on holiday.

Whilst the average London household was, as stereotypes dictate, the least trusting of their neighbours, 70% of respondents did trust their neighbour to look after their home but only 43% would leave their keys for them to do so. The Scots had the most trusting relationship with their neighbours, as 87% would trust their home with their neighbours and 54% would even leave them the keys.

Although 60% of respondents state that they do not worry about their home whilst they are away, 56% do admit that their biggest fear about leaving their home was burglary and 14% feared a fire. 4% of respondents even feared their plants dying whilst they were on holiday.

What's more, over half of Brits admit to leaving their doors unlocked whilst they are in their home and 52% had gone to sleep for the night forgetting to lock their doors. Respondents over 45 years old were most likely to leave the door unlocked at night than others.

Leaving contact details and an itinerary with family or friends is the norm, particularly for those over 55 (85%) and for those with children under the age of 17 still living at home.

Bob Trinder, Head of NatWest Insurance Services, said: "Whilst trusting your neighbours with the keys to your home is a thing of the past, it is great to see that we still trust them to keep an eye on our homes. That said, trust does not negate the need for adequate home insurance. Making sure that your belongings are protected and your house secure, even when you are in it, is vital."

For further information on NatWest home insurance contact: 0800 05 15 050.

Notes to Editors:

  • The research was carried out by TNS between 21st - 24th April 2005.
  • A representative sample of 1,207 adults were interviewed.