Home security while on holiday: alarms and the right habits
Before you lock the door and fly off to the Canary Islands, one question often lingers: will the house be fine during those two or three weeks away? Between the risk of a break-in, the dog you can't take with you, and a pool left to its own devices, a few simple precautions are usually enough to set your mind at rest. This guide applies across every island — whether you're heading to Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, or elsewhere in the Canaries, the advice is the same.
In a nutshell
- A monitored alarm is the most effective option, but it mainly pays off if you travel often.
- A trusted neighbour who pops in daily is a free alternative, especially for pets.
- Shutting off the water, unplugging non-essential appliances and noting your meter readings covers most of the risk.
- Away for more than thirty days? Check your home insurance policy first.
Why secure your home before you leave
Insurer statistics are unambiguous: burglaries rise sharply during peak holiday periods, when houses sit empty for weeks and the neighbourhood's usual rhythm suddenly stops. That's not a reason to cancel your trip — just a good argument for a bit of planning. A home that keeps showing signs of life — a light switching on in the evening, post that doesn't pile up at the door, a neighbour dropping by now and then — puts off most opportunistic break-in attempts long before any sophisticated system comes into play.
Monitored alarms: the most effective option
This is the option that comes up most often when people research how to protect their home while away, and for good reason: a monitored alarm system remains the most reliable way to keep an eye on your property from thousands of miles away. Current providers — Verisure among the best known, alongside more modular solutions — combine motion sensors, smartphone-accessible cameras and an automatic alert to a monitoring centre that contacts the police in the event of an intrusion.
Prices vary considerably depending on the equipment level and contract length, so it's worth comparing a few quotes before signing, since some contracts run for several years. For a one-off two- or three-week trip, a no-contract solution or a standalone connected camera is often enough; a full installation makes more sense for those who travel regularly throughout the year.
What to do with your dog or cat while you're away
Cats generally cope well with a boarding cattery or a daily visit from a pet sitter, especially if they stay in their usual surroundings. Dogs need more organising: a boarding kennel suits owners after full-time supervision, while home pet sitting appeals to those keen to preserve the animal's routine.
Rates typically range from £15 to £30 a day for boarding, a little more for a sitter who visits morning and evening. Booking early is the best habit to get into — kennel and cattery diaries fill up fast during school holiday periods.
Our experience: a neighbour looking after our two cats
There's a third option, often overlooked in comparisons: the trusted neighbour. It's what we settled on for our two cats, who get a daily visit from a neighbour while we're away. They stay in familiar surroundings, without the stress of transport or an unfamiliar place, and the daily visit has a second benefit: someone is also checking that everything's fine in the house.
It's a free, or nearly free, option — as long as you can count on someone genuinely available for the whole trip, and you leave them clear instructions (feeding, litter tray, the vet's number).
Good habits before you lock the door
Some steps cost nothing and save you a nasty surprise on your return. Shutting off the water at the mains limits the risk of water damage while you're away: a failed washing machine seal is enough to flood a home within hours. Switching the water heater to holiday mode, where the equipment allows it, cuts consumption without switching it off entirely. Noting your water and electricity meter readings before you go also makes it easy to spot anything unusual on your return, simply by comparing against the next bill. Finally, unplugging anything that doesn't need to stay on standby reduces electrical risk and trims the bill.
Our experience: the pre-departure routine
For us, this routine comes down to two consistent steps: we unplug every non-essential socket (TV, internet box, small appliances, chargers), leaving only what genuinely needs to stay powered (fridge, freezer), and we shut off the main water supply before closing the door. Five minutes is all it takes, and it already rules out half the possible mishaps.
Looking after the pool and equipment while you're away
A pool left unattended for three weeks won't turn green overnight, but it's still worth not leaving it entirely to chance. A programmable robot cleaner, set to run every two or three days, is usually enough to keep deposits in check during peak summer. For a longer absence, it's better to ask someone to check the chlorine level once a week than to shut everything down. Owners with solar panels can also monitor output remotely via the manufacturer's app — an indirect way of confirming the system is still running normally while they're away.
Planning for the unexpected
An absence of more than thirty consecutive days should, in principle, be reported to your home insurer: some policies include cover exclusions beyond a certain period of vacancy. A call or a message through your online account is usually enough to sort it out, and it avoids an unpleasant surprise if something goes wrong while you're away. The same applies if you own a second home in the Canaries — see our Fuerteventura accommodation guide to help choose where to stay.
Frequently asked questions
Should you shut off the water when you go on holiday?
Yes, wherever possible. Closing the main stopcock removes the risk of water damage while you're away — an undetected leak can cause serious damage in just a few days.
What's the best home alarm system for an extended absence?
There's no single answer: it depends on your budget and how often you travel. A monitored alarm with call-centre verification suits long or frequent trips, while a standalone connected camera is enough for a one-off few-week absence.
How do you arrange dog care while on holiday?
Two main options: a boarding kennel, which houses the animal with an approved professional, and home pet sitting, where a sitter (or trusted neighbour) feeds and walks the dog in its usual surroundings. The choice mostly comes down to the animal's temperament and your budget.
Do you need to declare an extended absence to your home insurer?
It depends on the policy, but many insurers require a declaration beyond thirty consecutive days away. A quick call before you leave confirms the exact terms and avoids any dispute if something goes wrong.
How do you maintain a pool on holiday without touching it?
A programmable robot cleaner plus a weekly chlorine check by someone you trust is usually enough to keep a pool clean over a two- to three-week absence.