Find out if you live in a burglary hotspot with the help of MoneySuperMarket.
MoneySuperMarket, the UK’s leading price comparison website analysed over 2.5 million home insurance quotes from the last two years (January 2017 to December 2018 inclusive) to identify the UK’s burglary hotspots, based on the highest and lowest rate of claims for home contents theft within a five-year period.
Henley-in-Arden (B95) on the outskirts of Birmingham is officially the UK’s top burglary claims hotspot, according to MoneySuperMarket’s annual Burglary Claims Tool.
Increase in thefts
The data reveals a 16 per cent national increase in rates of theft, with an average of 15.57 claims per 1,000 quotes in 2018, up from 13.42 in 2017.
Although consumer research by OnePoll reveals that one in five Brits (20 per cent) believe that they live in an area where properties are burgled more than the national average, almost half (44 per cent) haven’t taken any precautionary measures to protect their home, including installing burglar alarms, window locks or security cameras.
The Birmingham postcode district, B95, has risen to the top of the rankings, with a rate of 50.46 claims per 1,000 quotes. Meanwhile, residents of last year’s top burglary hotspot, Guildford postcode district GU3, will be pleased to see it has fallen out of this year’s top 20 and now sits in 171st place. However, neighbouring Woking postcode district GU23 is a new entry into the top 20, in seventh place.
MoneySuperMarket’s Burglary Claims tool
Another Birmingham postcode district, B94, also features in the top 20, with 45.80 claims per 1,000 quotes1. Despite many areas of Birmingham featuring heavily in the most burgled locations in the UK, just three per cent of residents say they feel unsafe when at home3.
Check if you live in a burglary hotspot and how your address compares the rest of the UK by using MoneySuperMarket’s annual Burglary Claims tool here. Visitors can also access information on how to improve their home security and reduce the likelihood of burglary.
Below is the highest postcode districts for contents claims on home insurance policies:
| Rank | Postcode district | Post town | Contents theft rate (per 1000) |
| 1 | B95 | Henley-in-Arden | 50.46 |
| 2 | CM4 | Ingatestone | 49.76 |
| 3 | IG5 | Ilford | 47.56 |
| 4 | EH4 | Edinburgh | 46.43 |
| 5 | LS8 | Leeds | 46.30 |
| 6 | B94 | Solihull | 45.80 |
| 7 | GU23 | Woking | 45.30 |
| 8 | SK8 | Cheadle | 45.29 |
| 9 | EH15 | Edinburgh | 43.99 |
| 10 | M21 | Manchester | 43.98 |
| 11 | CB5 | Cambridge | 43.48 |
| 12 | M20 | Manchester | 42.92 |
| 13 | BS7 | Bristol | 42.79 |
| 14 | RH8 | Oxted | 42.65 |
| 15 | SK4 | Stockport | 42.08 |
| 16 | L16 | Liverpool | 42.04 |
| 17 | LS17 | Leeds | 41.81 |
| 18 | BS9 | Bristol | 41.78 |
| 19 | TW11 | Teddington | 41.32 |
| 20 | IG9 | Buckhurst Hill | 41.28 |
Lowest rates of burglary claims
Of the postcodes with at least one claim for theft, Whitehaven near Carlisle (CA28) has the lowest rate, with 0.76 claims per 1,000 quotes. The region around Carlisle features three times in the 20 areas least likely to be burgled, with Cockermouth (CA13) and Mayport (CA15) in third and 15th place respectively. Other areas successfully keeping burglars at bay include Falmouth in Cornwall (TR11), with a rate of just 0.92 per 1,000, and Aberystwyth (SY23), with a rate of 1.08 per 1,000. There are also 98 postcode districts with no recorded claims, according to MoneySuperMarket data.
Impact on premiums
MoneySuperMarket analysis found that, on average, those who have been subject to a burglary over the past five years pay an average of 16.8 per cent more for their contents insurance policy. Emma Garland, data scientist at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “Over the past 12 months, burglars have mostly been targeting suburbs and urban areas, with the safest areas dominated by smaller towns and villages.
People who have been targeted by thieves previously pay an average of 16.8 per cent more for contents insurance, so it pays to ensure your home is as protected as possible. If you take precautions – such as fitting new door and window locks, installing bar windows where necessary and using security cameras – you can reduce both your contents insurance and your anxiety about getting burgled. Looking for the best deal possible at every renewal will also help keep premiums low.”
