Theft from Outside the Dwelling - What You Need to Know

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show a worrying increase in `theft from outside the dwelling`. Read our latest post to learn more.

During the COVID-19 pandemic there were reports of increased thefts from gardens and outbuildings. This was most likely due to people spending more time outdoors, leaving valuable garden furniture and tools outside and higher rates of reporting. But over the past decade overall property crime in the UK (including burglary) has generally declined as more people have installed affordable home security systems. But this trend may have prompted criminals to now focus on easier, outdoor targets.

What is Theft from Outside the Dwelling?

The term “theft from outside the dwelling” is a specific category of crime used by the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) that occur on residential property but outside the home itself. These crimes typically encompass theft from gardens, driveways, garages, porches, sheds or outbuildings.

The wording used in the CSEW survey questions is:

“Since 1st [month, year], has anyone stolen, or tried to steal, something from elsewhere on your property? This could be from your doorstep, garden, garage or shed. Please do not include theft relating to vehicles.”

As can be seen, this question specifically asks about theft from garages, sheds, gardens and doorsteps. This category of crime is part of the broader ‘other household theft’ grouping that excludes burglary. Theft from outside a dwelling often doesn’t involve unauthorised or forced entry, unlike burglary.

This category includes:

• Theft of property from gardens or yards. E.g. Garden tools, garden furniture, ornaments, ladders, barbecues, bicycles and more.
• Parcel or package theft otherwise known as ‘porch piracy’. E.g. Parcels left by couriers either inside a porch or in an outdoor ‘safe place’.
• Theft from outbuildings or sheds. If theft from these outbuildings involves forced entry it is classed as burglary.
• Theft from driveways. E.g. Wheelie bins, building materials, delivered parcels, tools and equipment etc.

Its important to understand that this category does not include vehicle theft or theft from vehicles. It also doesn’t apply to commercial properties. Theft from inside a home or property is classed as burglary.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that thefts from “outside a dwelling” increased year-on-year by 20% from 517,000 up to March 2024 to 622,000 in the latest assessment.

Commonly Stolen Items

The most commonly stolen item in reports of theft from outside the dwelling is garden furniture. In around 40 - 45% of reported incidents, items of garden furniture were stolen.

Private gardens with low security are extremely vulnerable to opportunistic criminals who can often see valuable items, left outdoors, which they know can be quickly resold on the black market. In Grantham multiple homes were targeted over just one weekend, suffering the loss of various items including outdoor lighting, BBQ equipment, a set of garden chairs and an outdoor recliner. And in Chapel Allerton a homeowner lost their gun metal chairs and folding table to thieves.

Although garden furniture items are clearly popular targets for criminals other valuable items are also very vulnerable. Bicycles, for example, are a prime target for criminals, especially high value cycles and increasingly popular e-bikes. Children`s toys and outdoor play equipment are also favoured by criminals as they know there are many cash-strapped parents on the look out for low-cost black market deals. Garden tools, hanging baskets, pot plants and garden lighting are also commonly targeted by unscrupulous thieves.

Another growing form of “theft from outside the dwelling” is parcel theft or “porch piracy”. Between July 2023 and August 2024 over 3.5 million UK homes lost parcels to thieves, worth an estimated £376 million. Sportswear, delivered in branded packaging, is reported to be three times more likely to be stolen than other forms of parcel delivery. The massive surge in parcel theft is largely due to the changing nature of UK shopping wherein people are more likely to shop online than visit their local high street or shopping centre.

Peak Time for Theft from Outside the Dwelling

The peak periods for “theft from outside the dwelling” crimes occur at two distinct times of year.

Theft from outside the dwelling targeting garden furniture, tools, bicycles, toys, barbecues, plants and ornaments etc. tend to surge during the warmer summer months, peaking in August. Most of these crimes are committed during the evening and night time between 6pm and 6am, unlike burglaries which tend to occur during daytime hours. The warmer months of the year generally correlate with people spending more time outdoors and therefore more valuable items are left outdoors in gardens and yards.

The other peak time of year is between November and December when parcel theft and “porch piracy” tends to surge. It is reported that 12% of parcel thefts occur in November rising to 15% in December. These periods align with Black Friday, when online shoppers take advantage of cost-saving deals, along with the run-up to christmas when the volume of home parcel deliveries tends to surge. Regional data shows some variation in these statistics such as in Dorset where 20% of parcel thefts are reported during December.

Preventing Theft from Outside the Dwelling

Defending a home against theft from outside the dwelling is challenging. But there are always weaknesses that can be bolstered to strengthen garden, outbuilding and property security.

Enhance Property Security

A good starting point is to look at overall property security enhancements. Its worthwhile making certain that all property boundaries, walls, fences, hedges and gates, are robust, secure and always locked, wherever possible.

Gravel pathways provide a noisy deterrent that can put off would be garden thieves. Also, installing motion activated outdoor lighting is a low cost, beneficial home security improvement. Another useful option is to install outdoor CCTV cameras, along with warning signage, to watch over areas where valuable items are kept.

Another important home security recommendation is to make certain the home insurance policy fully covers the various items that might be left outdoors and stored in outbuildings. Consulting with a home insurance provider can also provide valuable guidance in home security recommendations.

Planting and growing thorny, impenetrable plant borders is also a very effective deterrent. Would be thieves can be turned away if they can’t get into a garden without snagging or hurting themselves on the surrounding plants.

Change Habits and Behaviour

As noted, most outdoor thefts from gardens take place at night time. So it makes sense not to leave anything outside that might attract the attention of thieves. While it may be a bit of a burden to pack everything up and securely lock it away in a shed or garage, the effort is a small price to pay for security.

Packing up garden tools and locking them away in a shed or outbuilding, rather than leaving them outside in the garden, is another valuable precaution. And if there are items that need to be left outdoors, such as ladders, securely attach them to an immovable anchor point with a strong security chain and padlock.

Another important precaution is not to advertise the presence of valuables via social media posts. Criminals are well known to use social media as way to identify valuable targets. They are continuously on the lookout for properties where they know they can find valuables they can steal and then quickly resell. So posting pictures or video of outdoor events, such as barbecues or gatherings in which expensive outdoor equipment and furniture can clearly be seen, can act as an invite for thieves.

Secure Garden Furniture and Ornaments

While its very effective to pack everything up and lock it all away in a shed or outbuilding, at the end of a warm summer day, this isn’t a very practical solution for many of the items we tend to have in our yards and gardens. Many items of outdoor furniture, plant pots, statues and ornaments, tend to stay outdoors throughout the summer months so what can be done to keep these valuable items safe and secure?

Securely attaching items to security ground anchors is very effective. Locking valuables to robust, immovable ground anchors using chains and locks can make them impossible to steal. This technique is particularly effective for valuables that never need to be moved such as statues and large potted plants.

Security marking and labelling items is another effective tactic that not only deters thieves but can also help retrieve items if they are stolen. UV marking can make it very difficult for stolen items to be resold through market places such as car boot sales or online.

Another important precaution is to keep valuable items out of sight from outside the property, wherever possible. This can sometimes be achieved by growing appropriate hedging or erecting fencing that makes it impossible to see what’s in a garden.

Secure Sheds Garages and Outbuildings

We’ve previously provided plenty of practical help and guidance which we know has helped people bolster the security of their outbuildings and the valuables kept inside.

• Burglaries prompt shed and garage security warnings from police.
• Layered security for sheds garages and outbuildings.
• Why you need to secure your sheds and garages.
• Insight Security expertise sought by Daily Telegraph.

Bolstering shed and outbuilding security is vital to protect the tools, bikes and other items kept inside. It should be ensured that all locks, hinges and potential access points are maintained and importantly, that locks are always locked. Many thousands of thefts occur every year from sheds and outbuildings and in a 2021 survey 16% of respondents admitted they did nothing at all to secure their sheds or garages.

Shed and outbuilding doors are often the primary access routes and these can be strengthened by installing shed bars that lock across the entire widthe of the door. Outbuilding window security can also be strengthened by installing window security bars.

Its also important to pay attention to the shed or outbuilding structure as sometimes its readily possible to gain access by, for example, lifting the rooftop. Cases have been reported wherein criminals took advantage of a poorly secured shed roof to break in and commit burglary. Investing in a few additional brackets to secure a shed roof and a strong anchor to prevent a shed from being lifted can be money well spent.

Another valuable precaution is to make certain all valuables inside the shed or outbuilding are secured while inside the locked structure. So bicycles, scooters and similar valuable should be securely attached to immovable anchor points inside the outbuilding. And tools should ideally be securely stored away inside locked tool cabinets.

UK police forces report how people don’t tend to give their sheds and garages the same level of security attention they give to their homes. But the total value of what’s stored inside these outdoor structures is often very high. This is another reason why its important to make certain insurance coverage is adequate and insurer`s security requirements are always followed.

Its useful to know that theft from a shed, garage or outbuilding is classified as burglary, even though its outside the main home. Burglary is legally defined under the Theft Act 1968 and is considered more serious than simple theft. This means the crime of burglary carries a higher maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison for domestic burglary, including outbuildings.

Prevent Porch Piracy

As noted, parcel theft, otherwise known as “porch piracy” is a growing crime. Kent police have recently reported that 600 letters and parcels were stolen in their area in 2024 with a total value of around £216,000. The average value of these packages was estimated to be around £347, up from £120 in 2023. In Ashford a thief was recorded on CCTV stealing multiple parcels from a block of flats and returning just days later to do the same again.

As previously noted, between July 2023 and August 2024 3.5 million homes in the UK reported parcel thefts with a total value of around £376 million. Apartment buildings are noted to be particularly vulnerable with residents 24% more likely to lose valuable deliveries to thieves.

So what precautions can be taken to combat porch piracy? Previously recommended home security enhancements can help including the installation of CCTV cameras and motion activated security lighting. Video doorbells are another valuable precaution that can deter thieves.

Avoiding the need to leave parcels in plain sight is a primary recommendation, especially in multiple occupancy buildings. This can be achieved by using secure parcel lockers or safe alternative delivery locations. Specifying safe locations that are not clearly visible, around a property, for delivery couriers to securely leave parcels, is a valuable precaution.

Some people have constructed or installed secure, locked parcel delivery containers that allow deliveries to be safely deposited into a robust, locked, immovable structure. Other precautions include scheduling deliveries to take place when there is someone at home or redirecting deliveries to a friendly neighbour.

Its important to be aware that leaving notes on a front door, telling a delivery agent what to do, effectively announces that a property isn’t occupied so this is not advisable. Its also important to be aware that even out-of-the-way rural villages are not safe from this form of surging “outside the dwelling” theft.

If you have any questions about garden and outbuilding security, or if you have any special requirements, remember we are here to help. Give us a call on 01273 092921 and we’ll provide you with free, expert advice.

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