When you discover a burglary, instinct tells you to start tidying up – yet that's the worst possible first step. A burglary sets two official tracks running at once: the police's and the insurer's. Both need the same things: an untouched scene and an accurate list.
- The police come first: filing a report, examining the scene – until then, no one should touch the scene if at all possible.
- Report the loss via the insurer's claims line; the police records (the report, investigation decisions) become documents in the claim.
- The list of missing items is at the heart of a burglary claim – an up-to-date inventory proves the most here.
The first hour: don't touch anything
The signs of forced entry – a jemmied door, a broken window, tool marks – are evidence for the police, and for the insurer, evidence of burglary: cover is typically tied to forcible entry. So the moment you discover it: call the police, seal off the area, take photos from a distance – and no tidying up until the scene has been examined. Save the alarm and camera footage right away, before it's overwritten.
The two reports
The fact of the police report and its documents become part of the claim – the insurer typically asks for a copy of the report, and later for the decision on the state of the investigation. The claim notification runs in parallel, via the insurer's claims line or online portal. It's worth submitting the list of missing items in layers: first the large items you're sure are missing, then the full list as the stocktake progresses – flagging that the list may still grow. This is where the premises inventory and supporting documents work hardest for you.
The question of the level of protection
During claims settlement, the insurer checks whether the security measures promised in the policy actually worked – was what should have been locked actually locked, was the alarm armed. That's why it matters that the promised level of protection also works day to day: the requirements for burglary cover and the security self-check. If the claim gets stuck on security questions or a disputed list, the broker steps in to help on the company's side: disputed claims.
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