While holidays are a much-awaited time for people to travel and relax, worrying about someone breaking into your home can ruin your vacation – so, here are some expert tips.
Last year, Brussels recorded 5,193 burglaries across its 19 municipalities in 2025. Across the country, police recorded 35,438 burglaries, a 7% fall compared with 2024.
In an interview with The Brussels Times, theft prevention adviser for the Montgomery police zone, Vincent Heusdens, goes into detail about all the cunning ways burglars break into people's abodes.
Burglars, he says, spend around three-quarters of their working time scouting, looking for signs of life and whether houses have been empty for some time. A shutter that remains closed throughout the day, for instance, might suggest that nobody is there.
This surveillance can sometimes involve sly tests. Burglars might place a toothpick between a door and its frame, then return a few days later. If it remains in place, they know the door has probably not been opened.
Last year in Schaerbeek, two individuals placed a bottle of Fanta outside a house to see if anyone was home. When the bottle remained untouched for hours, they broke in through the roof, stealing electronics and jewellery.
Vincent Heusdens says that Belgium has seen a downward trend when it comes to burglaries because of better security measures, but the phenomenon is still present in the capital. Credit: Handout.
Make your apartment look occupied
Heusdens advises people to create credible signs that somebody might still be living in the property.
You can ask a trusted neighbour, friend, or relative to visit regularly, empty the letterbox, remove any overflowing ads and leaflets, water the plants, and occasionally move curtains or shutters.
"If you have friends visiting, tell them they can park in your driveway," Heusdens explains. "'It creates the impression that there is somebody there."
Simply asking someone to enter the home occasionally can also defeat the toothpick test, allowing anyone lurking for signs to see movement inside.
Belgium recorded 75,125 burglaries in 2000, while Brussels registered 7,830. A lower number than 2025. Credit: Unsplash.
Lights are another important tool. Heusdens recommends connecting lamps to timers, particularly in rooms facing the street.
Rather than leaving a light permanently on, which can look suspicious, timers should reflect the household's normal routine. A downstairs lamp could come on around sunset and switch off at the usual bedtime.
In a house, another light could briefly come on upstairs once or twice during the evening, creating the impression that someone has gone into a bedroom or office.
Smart lighting systems can make this even more convincing. Some applications allow you to switch lights on remotely or create randomised schedules so that they do not come on at the same time every day.
Do not announce your holiday online
No matter how excited you might be to go to Bora Bora and share pictures of the turquoise lagoons and fancy lobster dishes, it is advised not to announce your holiday on social media, at least not with the entire public.
"We always advise against posting the famous picture at the airport with the message: 'Great, we're off to the Canary Islands for two weeks,'" Heusdens explains.
Even when an account is restricted to friends, holiday information can still reach beyond the intended audience. Heusdens' advice is to wait until you return before publishing photographs or details of your trip.
Cars may also provide clues. A vehicle that remains in the same position for several days and begins to collect dust can suggest it is not being used, though burglars would still have to establish which property it belongs to.
Why is an alarm not enough
Theft prevention advice is generally built around three layers: good habits, physical protection and, only then, electronic security.
The first step is to ensure all doors and windows are properly locked. Windows should not be left tilted open, even on an upper floor, as this can provide an easy entry point.
The second layer involves mechanical protection, such as secure locks, reinforced doors and properly protected windows.
"Only after that do we talk about alarms," Heusdens explains. "An alarm does not necessarily deter burglars."
Credit: Unsplash.
A burglary is generally completed in less than five minutes. When an alarm sounds, the thieves might simply work faster, knowing they have less time.
Cameras might show when a burglary happened, how many perpetrators were involved, the route taken, and the rooms entered.
Heusdens stresses that residential alarm systems are not connected directly to the police. Some send alerts to the owner's smartphone, while others are linked to a private monitoring company. The company must usually contact the resident to rule out a false alarm before alerting the police, which can delay the response.
Ask police to watch the property
People leaving on holiday can ask the police to supervise their home for free through their local police zone or the federal police website.
Patrol officers will regularly pass by your property and check for signs of forced entry. Where access is possible, they may also inspect the rear of a detached or semi-detached house.
The Montgomery police zone adviser has coordinated these requests for the past five years. During that period, he said, none of the homes placed under holiday supervision in the zone had been burgled whilst patrol was active.
679 house supervision requests have been filed in the Montgomery zone, with 337 filed in July and August.
The visits do more than check the property itself. Additional police vehicles in the street can also deter burglars scouting the neighbourhood. "The burglar sees that quite a few police officers are passing through the area and may decide to go somewhere else," Heusdens explains.
You can also request a free home-security audit from a theft prevention adviser. This should ideally be arranged two or three weeks before departure rather than the day before, as the recommendations may involve buying equipment or making changes to doors and windows.
Hide valuables away from bedrooms
Bedrooms and bathrooms are generally the first rooms searched during a burglary. Thieves usually go straight to these rooms to find jewellery, watches, cash and other valuables.
You should therefore avoid leaving valuable belongings on bedside tables, in bathroom cupboards or in obvious bedroom drawers.
Depending on the property, less predictable locations might include a kitchen cupboard, a children’s toy box or a secure area within the home. Apartment building cellars are not recommended because their doors can often be forced relatively easily.
Credit: Unsplash
Heusdens also warns against relying on a cheap home safe, particularly if it is not securely fixed. Some safes are simply placed inside a wardrobe. Burglars can remove them, put them in a bag and open them elsewhere.
People with particularly valuable items or important documents should consider a bank deposit box or a professionally-managed private safe-deposit service.
You should also check the insurance policy before travelling. Home insurance may cover fire and water damage without automatically including theft, which can require additional cover.
What to do after a burglary
Anyone returning home to find signs of a break-in should not enter and begin cleaning or moving objects. You should contact the police immediately and avoid touching anything until officers have examined the property.
Fingerprints, blood or other traces could help identify a suspect. Calling a locksmith or clearing up before police arrive can destroy that evidence.
"People sometimes put everything back in order or call an emergency locksmith before the police arrive," Heusdens say. "Our officers can then no longer make the necessary observations or bring in the laboratory to look for fingerprints."
