Securing Your Property During Extended Absence

A property whose owner is confirmed to be abroad becomes a lower-risk, higher-reward target: criminals know there is no occupant to raise an alarm in real time, no one to interrupt them mid-entry, and potentially weeks of accumulated valuables with no one routinely monitoring the premises. In San Juan in March 2026, officers responding at 3:20 AM to a reported burglary in progress found two suspects carrying items from a home on Second Avenue owned by a person residing in England. A third suspect was located at a nearby address with additional stolen goods including standing fans and a gas cylinder. Three individuals were involved and large, heavy items were removed — indicating the entry was planned well in advance with no expectation of interruption. The removal of appliances, not just portable valuables, is typical of long-vacancy burglaries where criminals know they have the time to take everything. The primary protection is maintaining the appearance of regular occupancy and establishing a trusted local presence that can detect and respond to any entry quickly.

Steps to follow:

• Designate a trusted neighbour, family member, or property manager to physically check the premises at irregular intervals and to respond immediately if anything appears disturbed or out of place.
• Use timers on interior and exterior lights to simulate regular occupancy across varied schedules; a fixed on/off pattern is easily identified as automated within a few nights of observation.
• Do not announce or post publicly — on social media or otherwise — that you will be abroad for an extended period; limit knowledge of your travel dates to people who genuinely need to know.
• Before leaving, confirm in person with your designated contact that all entrances are properly secured: front and back doors, side entrances, garage access, and all ground-floor windows.
• Instruct your contact to call police immediately at any sign of entry and to report to you any unfamiliar vehicles or individuals observed near the property during your absence.
• Consider a monitored alarm system or remote-access security camera so that both you and your local contact can detect a breach in real time rather than discovering it after the fact.