What to Do After a Break In, Step by Step

Safety comes before everything else

If you arrive home and see signs that someone has broken in, such as a door standing open, a smashed window, or a lock that has clearly been forced, do not walk inside to look around. The person may still be there. Step back to a safe distance, such as the street, a neighbor's yard, or your car, and call 911 from there.

Tell the dispatcher what you see and where you are. Stay on the line if they ask you to. Do not go in until the police tell you it is safe, even if you are worried about a pet or a family member. The responding officers are trained to check a space that may be occupied.

If you are inside when you realize something is wrong, such as hearing a noise or finding a door open that should be shut, leave if you can do so safely, or move to a room with a lockable door and call 911. Your safety matters more than any belongings. Everything else in this guide can wait until the police have cleared the property.

If children are with you, keep them close and calm. Explain simply that you are waiting for the police to make sure the house is safe. Children pick up on tone more than words, so a steady voice helps. If you are in a car, lock the doors while you wait, and if a neighbor offers a place to sit, accept the help.

Do not confront anyone you see leaving, and do not chase a vehicle. Note what you can from a distance, such as a description of a person, the color and type of a vehicle, or a direction of travel, and pass it to the dispatcher. Those small details can help, and none of them is worth risking your safety.

Leave the scene as you found it

Once the police say it is safe, resist the urge to tidy up. Do not touch or move items that may hold fingerprints or other evidence. That includes forced doors, broken glass, drawers that were pulled out, and anything the intruder may have handled. Wait until the officers have taken their report and told you what you may touch.

It is natural to want to put things right, especially if the mess feels invasive. A short delay helps the investigation and strengthens any claim you make later. If you must secure the home before the police finish, ask the officer what is acceptable.

Take note of what you see before anything changes. Which door or window was used? Is anything broken, bent, or missing? Are lights on or off in a way that seems wrong? These details are fresh now and will fade, so write them down or speak them into your phone.

Write down the time you left home, the time you returned, and who else has been in the house recently. A list of recent visitors, workers, and delivery people is not an accusation. It simply helps the police understand the timeline, and it may rule people out early.

Working with the police report

The police will take a report. Ask for the report number and the officer's name, since insurers and others usually ask for them. Give a clear description of what is missing, and be honest about what you are unsure of. It is fine to say you will send a list later.

Some items have serial numbers, model numbers, or distinguishing marks. If you have receipts, photos, or records, gather them over the coming days. Even photos on your phone that show the item in the room can help. A running list of missing items, with approximate values, is useful for the report and for any insurance claim.

Do not guess wildly. An accurate, modest list is better than an inflated one. If you realize later that something else is missing, contact the officer or the department to add it to the report. Keep copies of everything you send.

Ask the officer what the next steps are. Some departments follow up by phone, and some by a visit from a detective. Keep your phone on and respond to messages. If you hear nothing within a reasonable time, call the number on your report card and ask for an update, politely and with the report number in hand.

Document the damage before repairs

Photograph and record the damage. Take wide shots of each room, then close ups of the entry point, broken locks, damaged frames, and anything stolen or disturbed. Video can help show the sequence. Include a few shots of the exterior so that the location is clear.

Do this before you start repairs, but do not delay emergency steps that protect the home. If a door cannot be closed, or a window is broken open, secure it enough to keep the property safe, and photograph first. Keep damaged parts if you can, since an adjuster may want to see them.

Store the photos somewhere safe, such as in a cloud folder or an email to yourself, so you do not lose them if your phone is stolen or breaks. Add notes about when each picture was taken and what it shows. A short written summary of the day's events helps later when memories blur.

A written inventory is easier to build if you walk room by room. Start at the entry and move through the house in the order a person would, opening closets and drawers only after the police allow it. Note anything that looks moved even if you cannot tell whether it is missing. Small gaps on a shelf can reveal what is gone.

Keep your list organized in a simple table with the item, where it was kept, its approximate age, and any serial number. This is also a good time to start a habit of photographing valuables, which makes the next inventory, hopefully never needed, much easier.

Secure the entry point

Once the police have finished, you need to make the home secure, especially if you plan to sleep there or leave. A damaged door or lock is an open invitation. The point of entry is often the weakest point, and some intruders return.

A locksmith can inspect the door, frame, and lock, repair or replace damaged hardware, and tell you whether the frame needs work. When you call, describe what happened, where you are, and what you can see. Ownership or authority is checked before any work, which is routine, and the work and price are explained before work begins.

If you rent, call your landlord or property manager as well. They may have a process for repairs and may need to approve the work. Requirements vary, so ask before you authorize a lock change. The broader service is described under after a break in security, and the page on lock replacement and repair describes the work on damaged hardware.

While you wait for the visit, a temporary measure can help. Depending on the damage, that may mean wedging a door shut from the inside, covering a broken pane, or moving heavy furniture against an entry. These are stopgaps, not repairs. Be careful with broken glass, and do not climb or lean on damaged frames.

A locksmith can also talk with you about how the door was forced. A kicked door, a pried frame, a drilled lock, and a broken window each point to a different weakness. Describe what you see, send photos if asked, and say which doors share the same type of hardware. The answer shapes both the repair and the improvements that make sense afterward, so it is worth giving the locksmith a clear picture.

If the frame is split or the jamb is cracked, a new lock alone will not hold. Wood repair or a metal reinforcement may be needed, and sometimes a carpenter is the right person for that part. A locksmith will say honestly where the lock work ends and the carpentry begins.

Rekey, replace, or both

If keys were stolen or the lock was damaged, you need to decide how to handle the lock. Rekeying changes the internal pins so old keys no longer work, while keeping the same hardware. Replacement swaps the lock for a new one. If the lock was forced or the frame damaged, replacement and repair are likely.

If the intruder entered by a window or another route and the lock is undamaged, rekeying might be enough, particularly if your keys were not taken. But if your keys were taken, or if the intruder had time inside to find keys, a lock change is a sensible step. The question of which option applies is covered in is rekeying enough after a break in.

Do not forget the other doors. If a set of house keys was taken, every lock that those keys open is at risk. That may include the garage entry, a side door, a shed, and even a car if the car key was on the same ring. Lock replacement or rekeying helps you weigh the choices.

Another factor is how many people hold keys. A household with several adults, a roommate who moved out, or a past service worker raises the number of possible copies. Rekeying makes every old key useless in one step, which can feel like closing a door on a long list of unknowns. It does not fix a broken frame or a bent latch, which are separate repairs.

Think about what else was taken

Beyond items, think about information. A stolen wallet or purse means cards, identification, and possibly keys and a garage opener. A stolen laptop or phone means accounts and passwords. Mail or papers in the home may include account numbers, and a stolen car key means the car is at risk.

Call your bank if cards were taken. Change passwords on accounts that may have been exposed. Consider whether to place a fraud alert on your credit. These steps are not locksmith matters, but they are part of recovering from a break in, and they are easier when done early.

If a car key was taken, the car could be at risk. The guide on after a car break in, locks and keys describes what to check. If a wallet or purse was taken with keys, the note on rekey after losing a wallet or purse explains why a lock change is often sensible.

Remember too that a home is more than its door locks. If garage door remotes, gate codes, alarm codes, or smart lock codes were stored in a stolen phone or a wallet, change them. A code that has been exposed is as good as a key that has been copied. Make a list of every entry method you use and go through it slowly.

Dealing with insurance

Contact your insurance company soon after the police report. Ask what they need: the report number, photos, an inventory, and receipts. Ask about coverage for repairs, and what documentation they want for lock changes. Keep invoices from any emergency work.

Understand your own policy. Some policies cover forced entry damage, stolen property, and temporary repairs. Others have limits or exclusions. Your agent or the company can explain what applies. Do not assume. Ask questions and write down the answers.

Keep a log of all calls, with the date, the person you spoke to, and what was said. If a claim gets complicated, that log is valuable. Save all emails and letters. Be calm and clear, and do not feel pushed into accepting an offer you do not understand.

Keep an eye on how long the process takes. Some claims move steadily, while others sit while the company waits for documents. If you are waiting on payment for lock repairs and the home is not secure, do not delay the work for the sake of paperwork. Safety comes first, and the invoices can be submitted afterward.

The emotional side of it

A break in leaves many people shaken even if little was taken. The sense that someone was in your private space can be unsettling, and it is normal to feel anxious, angry, or unable to relax at home for a while. Sleep may suffer. Small noises may seem larger.

Talk to someone you trust. Stay with friends or family if you need to. Take practical steps that restore a sense of control, such as improving locks, adding lighting, or checking the doors at night. Some people find that a few visible improvements, like a new deadbolt or a motion light, help them feel safer.

If the distress lasts or interferes with daily life, consider talking to a professional. There is no shame in it, and many people find it helpful. The locks are one part of recovery; the rest is giving yourself time.

Neighbors can be a resource. Let nearby neighbors know what happened, so they can watch for unusual activity and share what they saw. A neighborhood that talks to itself tends to notice trouble earlier. If your community has a watch group or an association, tell them as well, and share any safety notices that come from the police.

Improving security afterward

Once the immediate steps are done, look at the home as a whole. Where was the weak point? Was it a door with a short strike plate screw, a window without a good latch, a sliding door with a weak lock, or a garage entry left unlocked? Fixing the weak point is the most useful action.

Practical improvements might include a good deadbolt with a reinforced strike plate, a solid frame, a lock for a sliding door, better lighting, a door viewer or camera, and habits like locking up whenever you leave. Reinforcing a door frame, an overview and sliding glass door lock basics explain two common ones.

You can also ask a locksmith to look over your doors and give an opinion on what to improve. Orlando Locksmith explains the options before any work begins, and the finished work is tested with you. Treat this as a chance to build a home that is harder to enter and easier to feel safe in.

Also think about lighting and visibility. A dark entry hides a person working on a door. Motion lights, a clear view from the street, and trimmed shrubs near doors and windows make a house less attractive to someone looking for a quiet entry. These are low effort changes with a real effect, and they cost far less than a repeat of the experience.

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