When you take home insurance it often requires you to meet the security standard of locks, which is BS 3621. (British Standard Approved Locks) .
Have you just moved into a new property or would you like to start a new insurance policy?
The insurance companies’ are always updating their policies, with the latest security standards and will ask you to install or perhaps upgrade the locks on your home to meet their policy requirements. This can be for either buildings or contents insurance; mostly we find it is for contents Insurance.
This allows the insurance companies to give you a cheaper rate of insurance. The discount is often 5 -10% less in London if you have the correct security in place. They also want to make sure that your home is safe and difficult to brake into. This is a good for all!
Many clients ask what type of locks can be covered under their contents insurance? Or what type of Deadlock or mortise lock do they need to be covered by BS 3260 for their insurance?
We will try to cover and the answer these main points by our suggestions below:
1. Read through thoroughly and carefully to understand the terms and conditions of your new policy. Each insurance company asks for different things to be addressed. For example some may wish for your metal gate to be alarmed. It can often depend on what you are insuring and where your property is located in London.
2. Please get the full specification of what type of British standard lock you will need on all your doors and windows to ensure you are fully covered by your insurance policy. If you are not clear please call your insurance company as it will save you problems in the future and help to get a clear picture of what home security is needed.
3. Let your insurance company know what type of locks you currently have on your door. Is it a 3 lever or a 5 lever? If you have a home security check on your property you may find out that you already have the locks that you need!
It often does happen that we go to a client appointment that wants to install an extra lock because they have been asked to by their insurance company. When we arrive and study their existing locks with their policy we find out that there current doors and windows locks are okay! But the clients didn’t realize how to know this as it can be quite confusing communicating over the phone with the insurance company!
4. Is your door a wooden door or Metal door or perhaps an Upvc Door with multi-point locking systems that operates from a cylinder lock case only? On an Upvc door one can change the cylinder and upgrade it to a high security or anti picking or drill lock. It is worthwhile looking at these points as a burglar can easily open some of the cylinders on Upvc doors. It helps to make sure you have the best locks possible.
5. It is advisable to let your insurance company know how many locks you have on your front and back door. Maybe there are 2 and one bolt on the inside? They record everything you tell them. Is your door also the street door? Or perhaps you live in a block of flats? Or a converted house?
If you have a back door to your garden you also need to let your insurance company know about this. On some occasions they may ask you to have a deadlock fitted in addition to the latch or bolt that you already have.
6. Do you have a kite mark? This symbolizes British standard B S 3621.
If you wish to check this you can do so by looking at your door. It is normally on the metal plate, which you can see by opening the door, on the faceplate. It will normally tell you what brand lock you have and what is the specification of the lock.
If there isn’t any mark it probably means that your lock may be a little older and it is possibly not covered by the new insurances policy.
7. Do you have the keys for all your door locks? Are your locks in a good condition? Do they work without any difficulties? Recently I went to see a client who had not used his dead lock for a long time and we turned it with the key once and it got stuck, as the metal was stiff from not being used at all.
8. Do you have a patio door? Wooden or UPVC 4/6 points system lock? With an Anti-snapped cylinder?
The Insurance companies tend to have different requirements for these. Often they have a grill or a mortise lock with 2 sections the top and the bottom. Often bolt keys operate these only. On most forms of Patio doors the insurance companies are happy if you fit a 2” 5 lever deadlock or sash lock. This is in addition to the 2 key door bolt.
If you are unsure if your locks comply with what your insurance company has asked we suggest you call your local locksmith company they can check, install or upgrade your windows and doors.
9. As a rule of thumb many of the insurance companies ask for Mortise or 5 lever deadlocks to be fitted. There is a wide range of brands that can offer these items from Chubb, Yale and Bonham locks.
10. To complete a fresh installation of insurance approved 5 lever dead lock or mortise lock it normally takes 50 minutes. If we replace the exciting lock this will take 25 to 30 minutes.
11. How much will it cost to fit a new British standard deadlock? (Also called BS standard),Our locks start from £35 for the basic version and we carry a range of different options from price conscious brands to the other end of the scale top end brands such as banham and Ingersoll, which start at £150.00. The prices are excluding Vat.
If you would like any further information or would like us to come and give a home security check we do not charge for this service, please contact us at Locksmiths of Kensington and Chelsea London on 0203 397 1656.
