Short answer: Make your home look lived in (post cleared, lights on a timer, curtains not closed), lock everything properly, ask the neighbours to keep an eye on things and don't share your holiday online. An alarm that alerts your phone, with a SIM card as backup, also tells you remotely what is happening at home.
Our solution
Know what is happening at home, even on holiday
ShieldLink® sends an alert to your phone when the alarm goes off, without a subscription. With a SIM card in the Pro or Elite panel, you also get a text message or call if the Wi-Fi at home fails.
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Why take extra care when you are away?
A burglar checks whether anyone is home. A house where nobody comes for days, with a full letterbox and curtains that never open, stands out. The Verbond van Verzekeraars (Dutch Association of Insurers) summed it up in a holiday message: burglars don't go on holiday. Most tips therefore come down to two things: make your home look lived in, and make it hard for a burglar if he tries anyway.
A week before you leave
- Tell the neighbours: let your neighbours know you are away and ask whether they will pick up the post, water the plants and keep an eye on things. Agree who has a key and how they can reach you.
- Post: make sure the letterbox doesn't overflow. The Dutch Association of Insurers also mentions a "no junk mail" sticker (in the Netherlands the "nee-nee" sticker), so that less advertising piles up.
- Valuables: put valuables in a safe or leave them with someone for safekeeping.
- Check the locks: check that all doors and windows close properly and can be locked, upstairs too. If you have doubts about your locks, first read how to secure your home in four layers.
- Test the alarm: if you have an alarm system, check that the sensors work, that your alerts arrive and that the SIM card in the panel is active.
Make your home look lived in
- Lights on a timer: have lamps switch on in the evening that you would normally have on. A lamp with a dusk sensor by the front door also helps.
- Curtains: don't keep them closed for the whole holiday. The Dutch police advise not closing them permanently; the Dutch Association of Insurers advises closing them halfway, so people can't easily look inside.
- Plants and small items: leave plants on the windowsill. A few cups or an open book show that the place is lived in.
- Car on the drive: ask whether the neighbours would park their car on your drive.
- No rubbish outside: don't leave full bin bags or bins behind.
Suitcase ready? Then walk through the house one more time: lamps on the timer, plants on the windowsill, curtains not fully closed and all windows locked.
On the day you leave
- Everything closed and locked: windows, doors, roof windows and balcony doors. Lock the front door with the key.
- Keys: take keys out of the locks and store them safely. Don't hide a spare key outside.
- Remove climbing aids: put away ladders and bins from the back garden and lock the garden gate.
- Visibility: keep shrubs in the front garden short, so neighbours can see your front door.
- Bikes and shed: lock bikes and mopeds and lock the shed.
- Alarm on: arm the alarm before you pull the door shut behind you.
Social media and while travelling
The Dutch police advise posting holiday photos only once you are back home. The Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen (the Dutch police's secure housing label) adds: tell only a limited number of people that you are away, and don't put your home address on your luggage label. A label with just your name and phone number is enough.
Alarm and camera from a distance
All the measures above make a burglary less likely, but when you are away, you don't notice anything yourself. An alarm system that alerts your phone helps with that:
- Alert in the app: when the alarm goes off, the siren sounds and you immediately get an alert on your phone, wherever you are.
- SIM card as backup: the ShieldLink® Pro and Elite panel has a SIM card slot. With a SIM card you also get a text message or call if the Wi-Fi or the power at home fails. More about this on the page about an alarm system without Wi-Fi.
- Backup battery: during a power cut, the panel keeps working for up to 24 hours on its built-in battery.
- Watch along: with a camera you can see what is going on when you get an alert. The Neroo® Cam works in the same app as the alarm system, and with the BellMate video doorbell you can see who is ringing or standing at the door.
Agree in advance who will go and look if you get an alert, for example the neighbours with your key. Don't let that person go inside if a burglary may be in progress; if you see or hear a break-in, call 112. What else to do when you get an alert is explained in what to do when your alarm goes off.
If you live in the Netherlands, you can register your camera with Camera in Beeld, a Dutch police scheme. The police then know there is a camera in your street and can request footage specifically after a burglary.
The holiday checklist at a glance
| When | Check |
|---|---|
| Week before you leave | Tell the neighbours and arrange a key, post and no-junk-mail sticker, store valuables, check the locks, test the alarm and alerts |
| Lived-in look | Lamps on a timer, curtains not fully closed, plants on the windowsill, neighbours' car on the drive, no rubbish outside |
| Day you leave | All windows and doors locked, keys out of the locks, ladders and bins put away, garden gate and shed locked, arm the alarm |
| While travelling | No holiday photos online until you are back, no home address on the luggage label, alerts on your phone switched on |
So how do you secure your home when you go on holiday?
Make your home look lived in, lock everything, involve the neighbours, keep your holiday offline and use an alarm and possibly a camera so you get an alert if something does happen.
Our solution
Know what is happening at home, even on holiday
ShieldLink® sends an alert to your phone when the alarm goes off, without a subscription. With a SIM card in the Pro or Elite panel, you also get a text message or call if the Wi-Fi at home fails.
View the options
Frequently asked questions
Should I tell the neighbours I am going on holiday?
Yes, the Dutch police and the Politiekeurmerk recommend it. Ask them to pick up the post and keep an eye on things. Otherwise, tell as few people as possible.
Is it better to close the curtains when I am away?
Not for the whole holiday. Curtains that stay closed for days show that nobody is home. The Dutch Association of Insurers advises closing them halfway, so people can't easily look inside.
Can I post photos on social media during my holiday?
You can, but the Dutch police advise posting holiday photos only once you are back home. That way you don't show that your home is empty.
Does an alarm system work if the Wi-Fi at home fails?
That depends on the system. You can put a SIM card in the ShieldLink® Pro and Elite panel; you then get a text message or call if the Wi-Fi or power fails. The panel keeps working for up to 24 hours on the backup battery.
What do I do if my alarm goes off while I am on holiday?
Watch your camera if you have one and ask the neighbours with your key to look from outside, without going inside themselves. If you see or hear a break-in, call 112.
Sources and references
- Politie (Dutch police), Zomervakantie? Een inbraak voorkomen doe je samen (July 2022) — accessed September 2026
- Politie (Dutch police), Tips om woninginbraak te voorkomen — accessed September 2026
- Politie (Dutch police), Camera in Beeld - veelgestelde vragen — accessed September 2026
- Politiekeurmerk Veilig Wonen, Preventietips (holiday tips) — accessed September 2026
- Verbond van Verzekeraars (Dutch Association of Insurers), Inbrekers gaan niet op vakantie (July 2021) — accessed September 2026
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch government), campaign Maak het ze niet te makkelijk, Voorkom woninginbraken (brochure, December 2023) — accessed September 2026
- ANWB (Dutch motoring association), Wat moet je doen bij woninginbraak? En hoe helpt je woonverzekering? — accessed September 2026
