Back Door Security and Why Burglars Often Go Round the Back

Homeowners often put money into the front door but forget that the rear door is out of sight of the street. Back doors are frequently glazed to let light in and are sometimes fitted with cheaper locks than the main entrance. Burglars are very observant and opportunistic. They typically look for easy access to the side and rear of a property so they can operate without being seen or heard by neighbours or passers-by. Taking the time to check your back door security will help keep your home safe and give you peace of mind.

The back door is usually hidden behind fences, hedges or a garage. This privacy is great for enjoying your garden, but it also gives an intruder the cover they need to force a lock without being disturbed. People often assume that a locked side gate is enough to stop someone reaching the back of the house. This false sense of security leads to older, weaker doors being left in place for years.

Many back doors also contain large panels of glass, which creates a different type of risk compared to a solid wooden front door. If the glass is weak, it can be broken to reach the handles or keys left on the inside. You must look at the door as a whole, checking the frame, the glass, the hinges and the locks to understand how secure it really is.

What police advice says about side and rear access

The police crime prevention handbook offers clear guidance on how burglars choose a target. Based on interviews with prolific burglars, researchers found that offenders actively seek out properties where they can work out of sight. The side and rear of a house provide the perfect blind spot. A front door is visible to the street, making a break-in risky, whereas a back door offers privacy and time.

Ideally, the door and frame should be of solid construction with reliable locks. The police advise that you should use both locks on a timber door and check the mortice lock is engaged every time you leave. A common mistake is pulling the door shut on a simple latch while working in the garden or going out for the day. This leaves the door vulnerable to being slipped or forced open in seconds.

If you are replacing your door entirely, the police recommend always fitting a security accredited product. You should look for a door manufactured to a standard such as PAS 24:2022. This standard shows the door has been tested to British Standards and is approved by the insurance industry to resist physical attacks.

Check which type of back door you have

Before you can improve your security, you need a short way to work out which type of door you have without touching the lock. The material of the door dictates exactly what kind of hardware can be fitted to it.

• Timber doors are made of solid wood, are usually painted or varnished, and typically feature traditional keyholes cut directly into the wood itself.
• uPVC doors are made of white or coloured plastic, feel lighter when pushed, and have a long strip of metal running down the edge.
• Composite doors have a heavy solid core with a hard, weather-proof outer skin, look very much like painted wood, but use the same metal locking strip as a uPVC door.

If you have multiple doors at the back, such as a kitchen door and a set of patio doors, check each one separately. You might find you have a timber back door but uPVC french doors nearby. Each material requires a completely different approach to locks and hardware.

Timber back doors and what the locks should be

A timber back door will require a British Standard mortice sashlock in the centre of the door. This should be a BS 3621 5-lever mortice deadlock or sashlock fitted half way up the leading edge. A sashlock has a latch and a keyhole, while a deadlock only has a keyhole. The BS 3621 standard is shown by a Kitemark stamped onto the metal faceplate of the lock.

The door will need to be at least 44 mm thick to accommodate the lock. If the wood is thinner than this, cutting a deep hole for a mortice lock will weaken the door and cause it to splinter under pressure. You should also have an automatic deadlocking rim latch fitted higher up. This is the surface latch often called a night latch or Yale lock. The keyhole for this latch is called a rim cylinder, which is the barrel that passes through the door to operate the night latch from the outside.

To secure the door fully, you need either rack bolts or surface mounted lockable bolts in the top and bottom corners. These should be placed one third from the top and bottom to reduce leverage points. Rack bolts are fitted inside the wood and turned with a simple key, while surface bolts are screwed onto the inside face of the door. You should use both main locks and check the mortice lock is engaged every time you leave the house.

uPVC and composite back doors

uPVC and composite doors will often have a multipoint locking mechanism. This is the strip of hooks and bolts worked by lifting the handle. The central part of that mechanism is the gearbox, which drives the hooks up and down when you move the handle. The lock barrel that sits inside the gearbox is called a euro cylinder.

Your cylinder should be an anti-snap lock to protect against lock snapping, a common technique where the cylinder is broken to access the gearbox. The lock should be a TS 007 Kitemarked three-star cylinder, or a TS 007 one-star cylinder paired with TS 007 two-star handles. If your locks do not meet these standards, these can usually be upgraded quickly and easily by a local professional. You can even have the locks keyed alike, meaning multiple doors operate with the exact same key.

Modern multi-locking and uPVC doors only work if you use them correctly. Burglars wander around streets and gardens during the night trying door handles, because they know most people do not lock the doors correctly. You must adopt the lift, lock and remove habit every single time.

1. Pull the door fully closed so it sits flush in the frame.
2. Lift the handle upwards to engage the hooks and bolts along the door edge.
3. Turn the key in the cylinder to lock the gearbox firmly in place.
4. Remove the key from the door and place it out of sight.

If you only lift the handle but do not turn the key, the door is not locked. If a multipoint locking system does not lock properly, your insurance may not cover your losses in the event of a burglary.

Glass in and around the door

Many back doors feature glass panels to brighten up kitchens and hallways. This glass can be a major weak point if an intruder can smash it and reach inside to open the door. Glazing can be reinforced with special film or laminated glass panels to prevent this from happening.

Laminated glass is built with a tough plastic layer sandwiched between two sheets of glass. If someone hits it with a brick or hammer, the glass shatters but stays stuck to the plastic layer, much like a car windscreen. This stops the burglar from reaching their hand through the hole.

If you have older, standard glass in your back door, you do not necessarily have to replace the whole window. Security film can be applied over the existing glass to hold the shards together upon impact. This provides a similar level of protection and slows down anyone trying to break in quickly.

Hinges, bolts and the frame

When a back door opens outwards into the garden, the hinges are exposed on the outside of the property. This means an intruder could potentially knock the hinge pins out and lift the entire door out of its frame, completely bypassing your strong locks.

To stop this, hinge bolts should be fitted to all outward opening doors. According to the Master Locksmiths Association minimum security requirements, these bolts must be fitted at a position of approximately a quarter of the door height from the top and bottom of the door. They must not be within 150 mm of the top or bottom hinges.

Hinge bolts are simple metal pins that stick out from the edge of the door and slot into the frame when the door is closed. Even if the hinge pins are removed, the door remains anchored to the frame. You can find out more about reinforcing your door frame in our guide to london bars and hinge bolts.

Lighting, side gates and habits that help

Burglars prefer to work in the dark so they cannot be identified by neighbours or cameras. Dusk to dawn or sensor lighting to the front and back door of your home will deter potential thieves. A sudden bright light turning on when someone steps onto your patio is often enough to make them walk away.

You should also check the boundaries leading to your back door. Make sure side gates are tall, sturdy and locked at all times. Our guide to garden gate locks and side gate security covers the best padlocks and bolts for outdoor use. Stopping an intruder at the gate keeps them away from your back door entirely.

Inside the house, you must balance good security with fire safety. You must always keep a way out in a fire, which means keys should be kept within reach of the door when you are at home. Do not leave them in the lock itself, but hang them on a hook nearby where you can grab them quickly. Ensure they cannot be seen from the outside and cannot be reached through the letterbox.

What to ask a locksmith and what it may cost

There is no government licensing of locksmiths in the UK. Anyone can trade as one, which is why vetting matters when you need work done on your home. The Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) is the main trade association for the industry. Its approved companies are vetted, have criminal record checks, employ locksmiths who have passed the MLA exam and are inspected regularly. This is a voluntary approval scheme, never a licence or legal requirement.

Jobs are usually priced as labour plus parts, either by the hour or as a fixed price per job. The price is driven by the type and security grade of the lock, how entry is gained, your location and the time of day. London and the South East cost more, while evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays will push the price up. Many locksmiths charge no separate call-out fee but some do, and VAT may or may not be included, so you must ask for a total price before work starts.

The table below shows average prices for uPVC door security upgrades.

These MLA estimates are typical 2026 prices, and local quotes will differ based on your area and the time of day.

Most single lock changes and lockouts take well under an hour. When calling a tradesperson, ask how entry will be gained and whether drilling is likely. A skilled locksmith will try non-destructive entry, such as picking or bypassing the lock, before reaching for a drill. If your door has been damaged in a break-in, ask if they offer boarding up services to secure the property until a new glass panel or door can be fitted. Ask what standard the new lock meets. To be truly anti-snap, the cylinder must be Sold Secure SS312 Diamond or TS007 three star, which you can read about in our anti snap locks explained guide.

You are protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which says a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, at a reasonable price if none was agreed, and within a reasonable time. You have a right to have poor work put right or get your money back. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, there is normally a 14-day cancellation period for work arranged at home or by phone. This does not apply where you specifically asked for a visit for urgent repairs, though extra work sold during that visit is not covered by the exception.

Watch out for national call centres advertising as a local locksmith and passing the job to whoever is nearest. They often quote a very low price on the phone that multiplies on the doorstep. Other common scams include drilling a lock that could have been picked, replacing a whole multipoint mechanism when only the cylinder or gearbox had failed, or fitting cheap cylinders at premium prices. Refusing to give a price before starting, demanding cash only with no invoice, and arriving in an unmarked vehicle with no ID are all warning signs.

Common questions

Does a strong lock make my back door burglar proof?

A quality lock does not make a door burglar proof. It acts as a strong physical deterrent and slows an intruder down, but no lock can guarantee against a burglary. Intruders want quick and quiet entry, so a tough lock usually makes them give up and look for an easier target.

Can I upgrade a uPVC door lock without changing the whole door?

Yes, you can upgrade the security of a uPVC or composite door very easily without replacing the whole unit. A locksmith can remove the old euro cylinder and slide in a new TS 007 three-star cylinder in a matter of minutes. This protects the existing gearbox from lock snapping attacks.

What happens if I forget to lock the multipoint mechanism with a key?

If you only lift the handle and do not turn the key, the door is not secure. The strip of hooks and bolts can be bypassed from the outside by manipulating the handle downwards. If a burglary happens because the door was not fully locked with a key, your home insurance policy may not cover your losses.

Do I need different locks if my back door opens outwards?

Outward opening doors expose their hinge pins to the outside, which creates a serious weak point. You do not need a different main lock, but you must add hinge bolts to protect the frame. These metal pins stop the door from being lifted out even if the hinges are completely removed by an intruder.

Are tenants allowed to change the back door locks?

Tenants should check their tenancy agreement and get the landlord's agreement before changing any locks on a rented home. A landlord who changes the locks to keep a tenant out without a court order commits illegal eviction, which is a criminal offence. If you have a dispute over property access, contact Citizens Advice or Shelter for guidance on your own situation.

Next steps for your back door security

Start by looking closely at your back door and the locks currently fitted. You can take a few simple steps to improve your home security right away.

• Identify whether your door is timber, uPVC or composite to understand what locks it needs.
• Check the faceplate of a timber door lock for the BS 3621 Kitemark.
• Check the barrel of a uPVC or composite door for a TS 007 three-star rating.
• Make sure you always lift the handle, turn the key and remove the key on multipoint locks.
• Read your home insurance policy wording to see exactly what locks they expect you to have.
• Get a total price, including parts and VAT, before you agree to any locksmith work.
• Keep your keys within reach of the door for a quick exit in a fire, but out of sight of the glass.

If your locks fall short of the standards expected, or you are struggling to lock your back door smoothly, it is time to get professional help. A vetted locksmith can check your door, supply the correct anti-snap cylinder or mortice lock, and fit it without damaging the frame. You can use our directory to find a locksmith near you and read reviews from other local customers before you decide.