Christmas is a time for baubles, bubbles . . . and burglaries, the Insurance Council is warning New Zealanders.
And the economic crisis this year is likely to make the usual summertime crime wave worse, police say.
An AA Insurance home security survey released this month showed a 20% increase in burglary claims in the three months to November, compared with the corresponding period last year.
The number of claims made was unspecified.
In the survey, 1567 New Zealanders aged 18-75 were interviewed, with 44% saying they sometimes went out without turning on the alarm.
Thirty-six percent had left the front or back door unlocked, 29% said they did not lock windows and 27% did not lock deadlocks.
Twenty-six percent said they left spare house keys in obvious places, such as under doormats or pot plants.
"This is like leaving a welcome mat out for thieves," AA Insurance deputy general manager Martin Fox said.
"Obvious places around the household entrance are among the first places a thief will check before breaking into a home."
While 38% said using an alarm was the most effective security measure, 42% said they did not investigate or call police when they heard a house alarm.
Dunedin police burglary analyst Constable Ian Paulin said Dunedin was different from other cities, because there was not a usual rise in burglaries in the Christmas holiday period.
"December and January are traditionally our quietest months."
Two hundred and sixty-three burglaries had been reported in Dunedin in the five months to November and, so far this year, the number was about 3% below the average.
October had been the worst month for reported burglaries over the past five years, but the number was now rising in February and March, when students returned to the city.
A rise in television thefts in October was halted when a police operation arrested several men in connection with the complaints.
Dunedin's burglars more commonly targeted more expensive smaller items, such as X-Boxes, digital cameras, iPods and laptops.
The city also did not reflect the national trend of an increase in burglary during school holidays.
It remained to be seen whether the number of burglaries would rise in coming months because of the tight financial times.
International research had shown the number of dwelling burglaries decreased during a recession because people were at home more, but theft increased because people were under more pressure for money.
"But in Dunedin we are lucky compared with other towns. It's a small community here and we keep an eye on each other."
That did not mean people should not be vigilant.
"There are a lot of people out there that cannot resist an opportunity and the most common way people break in to houses is through the unlocked front door or an unlocked window."
