Pay someone to house sit. It can be a great way to keep pets comforted as well.
Try to not broadcast your trip (social media and other online means) until you have returned.
Have a neighbor collect the mail, or place a stop order on your mail/newspapers.
Do not have spare keys accessible under rake rocks or doormats.
Place porch lights and/or inside lights on a timer.
Tell trusted neighbors that you are leaving and ask them to keep an eye out for you. Inform them of the people that you may have employed to look after the home and/or animals.
Check locks before you leave (they cannot protect your home if they are not being used).
Keep up appearances: blinds that are always open should stay open and vise versa, lawn maintenance should remain (snow shoveling, gardening, etc.), lighting in and outside of the home, mail and newspapers should be collected.
A dog will deter burglars (even a beware of dog sign).
Apps exist to allow you to monitor video of your home, and control lights and sprinklers.
Notify your security company (if you have one) that you are leaving for a vacation.
Alert the police that you are going on a vacation, because they have been known to put houses that are uninhabited on officer routes.
If a burglar does enter make sure that it is not easy to find your valuables. Have them hidden. It is important to keep your home safe from criminals especially when you are away.
Secure vehicles, a car in the driveway for an extended period of time is still not safe. Placing a car behind a security gate or in a garage is much safer for your vehicle.
Rental Car Security Tips
Don’t leave valuables visible in the car.
Take away rental car identification (may not be able to take off stickers).
There are a couple ways that vehicles can be identified as rentals by the license plate. (stickers or frame)
Keep doors locked when away from the vehicle.
Know the areas you are visiting (smash and grab can be common in low income areas).
Familiarize yourself with the new vehicle (style of locks, door security, gap between the door and door frame, etc) so you can be prepared to respond to auto lockouts.
Park the car somewhere secure whenever possible and as often as possible (parking structures with gates, attendants, security, etc.)
Park under a light source. Visibility is your friend, and the enemy of thieves.
Make sure that windows are fully rolled up so that there is no open gap.
Hotel Security Tips
Do not yell your room number to your friends (go up to them and tell them). Yelling can be overheard by potential thieves.
Lock the door to your room whenever anyone is inside.
Ground floor rooms are most vulnerable to break-ins. Look for a room on at least the third floor.
Use the peep hole to identify who is at the door before opening it.
Call the front desk if any unexpected visitor claims to work for the hotel.
Try to get a room that is not by the stairs (criminals use stair ways for quick exits, and are more likely to target rooms by exits).
Electronic locks help to limit access and monitor who enters the room.
Be aware in the parking lots (parking lots provide a criminal with many places to hide and escape).
Security guards, visible bellhops, and valet parking attendants help to deter criminal activity in the hotel and around the perimeter.
Check on valuables, because knowledge of when the property was taken will better point to who is responsible for the theft. Whether it is some employed by the hotel or a third party theft.
Hotel safes are not safe: most workers will have master codes, lighter safes can be bounced, and unbolted safes can simply be stolen. Some hotels will require you to pay for the use of the safe, and this will also alert employees that the safe is in use.
Use the do not disturb sign even when you are not in the room as this will deter entrance from criminals.
