What to Do if Someone Breaks into Your Home

It’s a moment everyone dreads. You’re settling down for the night and you hear a strange sound downstairs, but no one else is home. What do you do in this situation? Should you confront the intruder or hide? 

No matter how unlikely this situation seems, you and your family should have a plan of escape if it ever does happen. Preparing for this scenario could save your life.

1. Verify an intruder is in your home.

You should avoid trying to open your bedroom door to see if a burglar is in your home, since you risk getting caught in an altercation with the would-be thief. 

Here are a few different ways to verify someone is in your home:

• Listen: Do you hear sounds that are out of the ordinary? Be on the lookout for someone walking around or whispered conversations, the sound of creaking stairs, opening doors or drawers, or a turning doorknob.
• Check: Do you see flashlight beams moving under your bedroom door or outside your property?
• Look outside: Can you see a strange vehicle parked in your driveway?
• Reach out: Send your roommate or family members a text to verify if they’re home and making the noises. 
• Check: This is where an alarm system is handy. Indoor cameras can provide you with an interior view of anyone who might be inside, while an outdoor camera can show that someone has jimmied open a window or is idling outside next to your patio door.

If you’ve verified that a would-be burglar is inside, it’s time to get out of sight and contact the police.

2. Avoid confrontation with trespassers. 

3. Try to get away from the invader, while being as quiet as possible.

4. Try to hide behind a locked door like a bedroom, closet, office or bathroom. 

5. Once you’ve secured your position, try to call the police.

6. Many burglars try to avoid contact, but not all trespassers are like that. If you believe the intruder means to harm you, you may have to defend yourself. If you’re going to defend yourself, make sure you have the necessary self-defense skills and you know how to use them.

7. Have a plan for a home invasion with your family and practice different scenarios. Everyone should know the escape route and what to do if they’re backing into an area where they’re forced to defend themselves.

What are the chances of someone breaking into your home at night?

It’s important to understand the patterns behind a typical burglary so you can better prepare your home and prevent break-ins from happening.   

• Most burglaries happen during the day between 10am and 3pm, when people are working and children are at school.
• More burglaries happen in the summer than any other season. 
• Southern states account for 47% of burglaries.
• Burglaries are most common in detached, single-family homes that are in the middle of the neighborhood rather than homes at the corner that might see more traffic at cross streets. 

[Source 1]

Many burglars prefer breaking into homes during the day because they want to avoid meeting you. At night, you’re more likely to be finishing up dinner or getting ready for bed. During the day, they can take their time going through your home without disruption, confident that you’ll be at work.

Thieves want to avoid suspicion. Someone wandering around your garden or fumbling at your back door can be more suspicious than someone at your home during the day in a maintenance uniform or friendly explanation if they’re caught. If someone questions them, they could have a “reason” for being on your property, like looking for a lost pet or they’re a contractor that accidentally got lost and arrived at the wrong house.  A thief could even claim that they’re a friend coming by to pick up something for you to bring you to work. 

Read more about when burglaries happen: When Do Most Burglaries Occur? Everything You Should Know

Where should I hide if someone breaks into my house?

If someone has broken into your house at night, and it’s impossible to get out of your home safely, you should try to hide, then notify the police.

You should have a plan with your family for a potential home invasion since you may not be able to safely locate your loved ones without undue risk during an active burglary situation.

• Try to find a place that you can lock and hide there until the police come. Many burglars don’t want to take the time to jimmy open every lock in the home, and they’re more likely to go to the next room if your door is locked.
• Once locked inside, it’s a good idea to hide. If you can lock your bedroom, hide inside your locked closet.
• You want to be as quiet as possible. Put your phone on silent and keep from moving around too much or opening doors.

Once you’re safely locked inside, you should call the police and trigger your security system or panic alarm button.

SoSecure by ADT is an easy-to-use personal safety app that you can download to feel safer on the go. If you’re home and think someone is breaking in, you can silently and discreetly summon help from ADT via the chat or slider. The Basic plan is free; you receive more features and customizations when you upgrade. 

Burglaries can be traumatic events. Once your family is safe and sound, it may be helpful to get emotional support from a professional who can help you and your family work through the stressful experience. 

What are you allowed to do if someone breaks into your home?

While your best bet to survive a break-in is typically to flee and leave the property, sometimes that isn’t possible.

You might wonder if you can and should use physical force if there’s an intruder in your home. Are there legal ramifications for using deadly force to protect you and your property? And what is considered reasonable force?

We’ll go over some self-defense laws and what you should know about such as castle doctrine and stand-your-ground laws.

The bottom line is that state laws differ, so you want to search for your state’s laws on self-defense before an intruder breaks into your home.

What’s considered self-defense or reasonable force could also differ depending on where you live. So, what’s legal in one state may be manslaughter or murder in another. You should research your state’s castle doctrine and stand-your-ground laws, so you’re obeying all state laws. 

How does castle doctrine differ from stand-your-ground?

Cornell Law School describes the castle doctrine as “a party who reasonably believes they are threatened with the immediate use of deadly force can legally respond with a proportional amount of force to deter that threat.” [2] 

As mentioned earlier, this doctrine is subject to state laws. Even within castle doctrine, some states have different laws than others. 

In other words, you have the right to use reasonable force, which could include physical force, to protect your home and family.

Castle doctrine 

Even if a state has a castle doctrine, it can still vary. For example, some states with a castle doctrine must demonstrate that a burglar was trying to commit a felony.

• Twenty-eight states and Puerto Rico don’t have a rule of retreat. This means that in those states, you do not need to try to retreat first before defending yourself in your home. 
• Eight states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, Vermont and Washington, allow you to use deadly force for self-defense. 
• You have civil immunity in 23 states, but only in certain cases of self-defense. 
• Six states, including Hawaii, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee, don't have self-defense statutes.

[Source 3]

Stand-your-ground

Stand-your-ground laws designate that you don’t necessarily have to retreat before using deadly force. This rule isn’t limited to just your home, vehicle or place of business.

• Over 30 states have stand-your-ground laws. Of these states, California, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia and Washington have case law precedents.
• Some states like Iowa have both a castle doctrine and stand-your-ground rules.
• North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin only have stand-your-ground laws when you’re in your vehicle.
• Several states, including Arkansas, Connecticut, and Delaware, have a castle doctrine that allows someone to defend themselves while in their home or vehicle, but they must retreat in a public place.

[Source 3, Source 4]

Rule or duty to retreat

In some states, you’re legally required to attempt to retreat from the situation before trying to protect yourself. This rule states that you can’t harm someone else, even if you’re under duress, if there’s a possibility you can safely retreat. 

Ten states don’t have a rule of retreat (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina). Instead, they require individuals to stand their ground.

As you can see, many of these states have overlapping laws, so it’s important to research where you live to see the exact regulations your state has about stand-your-ground and castle doctrine.  

What’s your plan if someone breaks into your house at night?

How you react during a home invasion can be crucial to staying safe. You should attempt to leave and immediately call the police. However, sometimes that isn’t possible. 

It’s important that you have a plan in case anything happens, and that you practice this plan with your family just like you’d practice a fire drill.

1. Determine a spot where you and your family can meet up, both outside the home and inside the home if you’re unable to escape.

2. Practice your escape plan from different rooms and figure out what you should do if you can’t use that escape route. Is there a secondary route you can take, or do you have somewhere within the residence you can safely stay?

3. Designate a caregiver for anyone who might need assistance and have that person practice different scenarios so they know exactly what they should do. 

4. Create a designated safe room with a door that locks and heavy furniture you can use to barricade that door if necessary.  

5. Always try to escape before engaging with a burglar. If you can’t escape your home, you should next try to barricade yourself in a place that locks, like a closet or bathroom. Remain calm and quiet.

6. Once you’ve managed to safely retreat, call 911.

7. Don’t leave the safe room or locked closet until the police arrive, even if you think the burglar is gone.

Pro-tip: if your bedrooms don’t lock from the inside, you should consider purchasing door braces or security bars that can quickly be shoved into place.

What to do if you come face-to-face with an intruder

If you’re going about your day and suddenly come face-to-face with a burglar who’s just as surprised to see you as you are surprised to see them, you should try to remain calm and comply with their demands.

You can consider playing dumb. While this seems strange, it may be able to keep you safe. A burglar may be willing to play along and pretend they’re in the wrong home, then leave. Since many burglaries are crimes of opportunity, the burglar may not want to risk getting a heftier prison sentence if caught.

If running isn’t an option, you should cooperate with the burglar. Do what they ask you to do, and don’t make any sudden movements. React to the thief’s demands in measured ways and tell the burglar if you need to do something like reach into a jacket pocket.

Attempt to stay calm, and don’t make any sudden moves. Try to keep distance or furniture between you and the intruder.

If none of these methods work, you may be forced to defend yourself as a last resort. If it comes to this, you’ll know you did everything possible to de-escalate the situation.  

How do you know if your house has been watched by burglars? 

While it’s important to be mindful of your neighborhood, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions about the other residences. 

Here are a few things you can look out for to determine if someone is casing your home.

• You’re seeing the same unfamiliar vehicle parked outside your house day after day and your neighbors don’t know who the person is.
• Many would-be thieves have added costumes to their repertoire, dressing up like utility service repair personnel or neighbors looking for a dog. If someone comes to your door asking to use the bathroom, or an unscheduled maintenance worker comes by to “check on your gas,” tell them you’ll reach out when you have free time.
• You see strange markings around your home.
• Someone is walking around your property taking pictures of your windows or doors.

How can you prevent someone from casing your home?

It’s always a good idea to work with your neighbors to help keep your community safe. You could start a neighborhood watch program or just keep an eye on each other’s properties when you’re gone. 

• Don’t allow strangers into your home or answer the door if a stranger is at your door. 
• Install a video doorbell to keep an eye on your front door. You can also use 2-way audio to speak to the solicitor without giving them a glimpse of your home.
• Keep windows locked and shades drawn. If you want to allow a breeze into your residence, consider pulling the blinds partially closed so no one can look inside.
• Consider upgrading your home’s locks and latches or even the doors. Most people don’t upgrade the locks their home came with, but those latches can be simple to replace.
• Buy a security system with both indoor and outdoor cameras and post signs around your property alerting would-be thieves that ADT is helping you keep an eye on your home.
• Make your home look occupied when you’re not there by using smart home devices to turn lights on and off.
• Don’t keep any valuables in plain sight and break down any large boxes and put them into the recycling bin instead of leaving them next to your trash.

What is the one thing homeowners can do to avoid being burglarized? 

There are many options you can implement for your home to help deter thieves, and we highly recommend that you use several of them together to enhance effectiveness. 

If you’re wondering what the number one thing you can do is, we’ve got you covered.

As many as 60% of burglars in one study said that they would go to a different house if the one they planned on breaking into had a security system [5].

A home is 3x more likely to be burglarized if it doesn’t have a security system [6].

9 ways to keep burglars away from your home at night

1. Add indoor and outdoor cameras around your property to record any would-be thieves in the act.

2. Add a floodlight camera system near your garage or front and back doors.

3. Keep your home security signs displayed at any potentially vulnerable area, like the front and back doors, garage, basement and first-floor windows.

4. If you have a dog, display a “Beware of dog” sign.

5. If you’re out of town, implement a few of the other suggestions we mentioned above to make your home look occupied. 

6. Add motion sensors or motion-activated lights that turn on any time someone walks by your home.

7. Add driveway sensors to long driveways. Since most thieves bring their own cars, you’ll get an alert if something large comes down your driveway when you’re not expecting it so you can be on the lookout for suspicious activity [5].

8. Keep porch lights on throughout the night. If you’re going out of town, set your lights on an automatic timer or purchase smart lights so your typical routine continues even when you’re not home.

9. It’s always a good idea to foster good communication with your neighbors, so they’re more inclined to help keep an eye on your home when you’re away.

A home security system by ADT can help you keep an eye on your home.

ADT has nearly 150 years of experience helping keep homes safe and secure. As a leader in home security, ADT can help you create the perfect home security system for your needs, with indoor and outdoor cameras, smart locks, smart lights and more.

Explore ADT’s home security options to find a customized plan for your home and budget.

[1] https://www.jsu.edu/police/docs/Schoolsafety.pdf 

[2] https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/castle_doctrine 

[3] https://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/self-defense-and-stand-your-ground.aspx 

[4] https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-law-basics/states-that-have-stand-your-ground-laws.html 

[5] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268444817_Understanding_Decisions_to_Burglarize_from_the_Offender's_Perspective 

[6] https://www.jsu.edu/police/docs/Schoolsafety.pdf