Making a Damaged Home Safe From Intruders After a Storm, Fire or Flood

A storm that has taken out a window, a fire that has breached a wall, or a flood that has forced you out of your home all leave the same problem: a building that is damaged, possibly unsafe, and open to anyone who walks past. The work falls into two parts. First, make the building safe to enter and protect your insurance claim. Second, secure what is broken, with boarding if needed, so the home is not an easy target while repairs wait.

The order matters. Do not enter a flood-damaged property unless you are sure it is structurally safe, and have it professionally checked if in doubt¹. Take photos of all damage before you tidy or clean anything, because your insurer may need that evidence². Tell your insurer before you arrange repairs, including emergency ones³, and do not dispose of damaged items until they have been inspected⁴. If windows or doors need boarding up, a contractor can do this for you and your buildings insurance will normally pay⁵.

If you rent, most of this is not your job. It is your landlord's responsibility to secure the building after a fire⁵ and to repair damage to the structure and exterior, including walls, roof, windows and doors⁶. If you own the home and have no insurance, you are responsible for the costs yourself, though your local authority or charities may be able to help⁷.

Check the building is safe before you go back in

Before anyone goes inside, walk around the outside and look at the structure. Official guidance from the Greater London Authority is to check the exterior of the property for cracks, and if any part of the building looks unstable, leave immediately⁸. Debris can be dangerous, so wear protective clothing and footwear⁸. The same advice appears in local resilience guidance across England: check for cracks, leave if anything looks unstable, and treat debris as hazardous¹¹.

Flood damage needs particular caution. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared advise checking a flood-damaged property is safe to enter before entering, because structurally it may be unsafe¹¹. The Greater London Authority's flash flooding guidance is blunt about it:

If you were evacuated, do not simply return when the water drops or the smoke clears. Before entering a property that has been flooded, make sure the building has been checked for signs of damage, because structurally it may be unsafe to enter¹². If you have had to leave your property due to flooding, the flood recovery guidance is to check with the emergency services that it is safe to return before you go back¹².

One further check belongs here because it is about intruders rather than structure. If you arrive at the property and find signs that someone has broken in, Police Scotland's advice is that you should not go inside in case the intruder is still there¹³. Report it instead, online, by phone or in person¹³. Our page on coming home to a break-in covers what to do first in that situation.

Returning home safely after a flood

Once the building is safe to enter, flood recovery has its own hazards. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service advises that you only return to evacuated buildings if told it is safe, avoid electricity sources, and get an approved service engineer to check gas, electricity and water before turning them back on¹⁶. Beware of contaminated water and sharp objects lying in flood water, take extra care with candles and open fires, and contact your insurance company for advice before starting to clean up¹⁶.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service add the practical points that catch people out: make sure the property is safe before you enter, use a torch, and do not try to switch on the lights¹⁵. Once inside, open the doors and windows to ventilate the property, remove any sandbags across airbricks, and watch out for broken glass or nails while cleaning up¹⁵. Broken glass and nails matter doubly here: they are both an injury risk to you and a sign of where the building's security has failed.

Do not plan to move back in the moment the water has gone. Derbyshire County Council recommends that you only return to live in your home once cleaning has been completed, and that your insurance company, housing officer, landlord or builder will advise on any additional work needed¹⁷. The same guidance stresses that essential cleaning, drying and repair work should not be rushed, as this could lead to problems later on¹⁷.

If the flood follows a storm rather than a river bursting its banks, the same recovery steps apply, but check the rest of our flooding guide for preparing before the next one, and storms and snow for what to do while the weather is still dangerous.

What to do after a house fire

Fire damage creates a different set of problems from flooding, and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's steps-after-a-fire guidance covers them directly. Because firefighters may have to breach walls and ceilings to check for hidden fires, the damage can appear excessive afterwards, and you may need to wear protective clothing and a hard hat to enter the property¹⁰.

Before you spend anything, seek advice. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service advise seeking advice before you commit yourself to any expense, such as the bill for staying in a hotel or getting your property boarded up by a contractor¹⁰. The reason is your insurance claim: costs you commit to before speaking to your insurer may not be covered, and the insurer's loss adjuster may need to see the damage as the fire left it.

Two practical points from the fire service about property protection. First, if a salvage sheet or tarpaulin has been left over your roof or windows by the fire service and needs to remain at the property after they have left, there could be a charge to the occupier to replace it¹⁰. Second, the British Red Cross offers an emergency response support service designed to meet the needs of people who have suffered damage to their home following a fire, flood or similar incident¹⁰; ask at the scene or through the fire service how to make contact.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service's after-an-incident guidance sets out the sequence for owners: if you have to leave the property unattended, close all the windows and doors if possible, and if windows or doors need boarding up, a contractor can do this for you⁵. Do not dispose of anything or carry out any repair work until the loss adjuster or claims advisor has inspected, and you may also need to inform your mortgage company about the incident⁵. For the immediate fire safety side, see home emergencies.

Tell your insurer before you make repairs

This is the step that protects everything else, and it comes before boarding up, before cleaning and before throwing anything away. The Association of British Insurers' advice, carried in Belfast City Council's emergency planning guidance, is to tell your insurer if you need to arrange emergency or temporary repairs to stop damage getting worse³. Emergency work to prevent further damage is normally expected; the risk is going further than that without approval.

Nottinghamshire County Council's advice for homeowners affected by flooding is firmer still: speak to your insurance company before engaging any companies offering to repair flood damage, keep damaged items, and avoid undertaking repair works until you have made contact with your insurance company, as you may invalidate your claim⁴. London Fire Brigade's after-a-flood guidance explains why: contact your insurance company, and they may require evidence of damage before clean-up begins¹⁸.

The evidence you gather now is what the claim is built on:

• Take photographs or video footage of all damage⁹
• Mark the water levels on the wall before they recede, if flooding is the cause⁹
• Take photos before you start to tidy and clean up, as this is important for insurance purposes¹⁹
• Keep damaged items and do not dispose of anything until the insurer or loss adjuster has inspected⁴
• Keep records of repairs and cleaning costs⁸
• Compile lists of damaged or lost items, record the tide mark on walls, keep a diary or log of activity, and record the contact details of everyone you speak to⁴

In almost all cases the insurance company will send a loss adjuster to look at your property²⁰. Always ensure the insurance company has given approval before going ahead with any repair work⁹. If you rent, contact your landlord and your own contents insurer as soon as possible²⁰. If you do not have insurance, your local district council may provide information on hardship grants or charities²⁰.

One warning that belongs here: damage after a flood or storm attracts companies offering repairs at the doorstep. Speak to your insurer before engaging any such company⁴, and see our page on avoiding rogue traders after a flood and on rogue traders and doorstep selling before you agree to anything.

Boarding up broken windows and doors

Boarding up is the emergency repair that makes a damaged home secure. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service's guidance is that if windows or doors need boarding up, a contractor can do this for you, and your buildings insurance will normally pay for this work⁵. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service similarly advise boarding up windows or doors if needed, and note that a contractor can be found online to fulfil this service²¹. Council tenants requiring a boarding-up service should contact their local housing department or direct works department²¹.

Before the contractor arrives, close all the windows and doors if possible if you have to leave the property unattended⁵. Every closed and locked opening is one fewer that needs covering, and it reduces the number of boards needed.

Boarding up is not only a response after damage. If a flood warning is in force and water is coming, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service advise blocking doors, with floodboards if available, and airvents with plastic sheeting and sandbags²². Floodboards fix to frames around windows and doors, and can be washed, stored and used again²³. Suffolk's flood booklet adds that they should always be removed once the flood water has gone, to help the property dry out²³. A household that has fitted floodboards once has a reusable barrier that also makes the openings harder to force.

Securing a damaged roof or wall

A damaged roof is both a security problem and a safety problem, and the safety problem comes first. Lancaster City Council's preparedness guidance for households facing high winds sets out what to look for: loose, chipped or missing tiles, corroded nails, and cracked or eroded mortar joints on ridge or hip tiles²⁴. If you find any of these, contact a reputable builder or roofing contractor for repairs, because it can be dangerous to undertake repairs yourself²⁴.

That warning applies doubly after a storm or fire has already damaged the roof. Working at height on a compromised structure is a job for a professional, not a householder with a ladder. What you can safely do from the ground is assess and record: photograph missing tiles, holes and sagging from outside, and note them for your insurer and your contractor. If the fire service has left a salvage sheet or tarpaulin over the roof, remember that there could be a charge to the occupier to replace it if it needs to remain after they have left¹⁰.

A hole in a roof or an unstable wall is also an entry route, and not only for people: water getting in after the initial damage will make the repair bill larger. This is exactly the kind of emergency or temporary repair your insurer expects you to arrange to stop damage getting worse, so tell them you are doing it³. A tarpaulin properly fixed by a contractor over a damaged roof keeps weather out and closes off the opening until permanent repairs can be done.

Where boarding up must not block a way out

Emergency boarding has one rule that overrides convenience: everyone inside must still be able to get out. Manchester Fire and Rescue Service's guidance for landlords and buildings is to ensure there is adequate means of escape²⁵, and the principle applies to any household doing its own emergency boarding. A board screwed over a door that is the only way out of a room, or over a ground-floor window that serves as an escape route from an upper floor, turns a security measure into a fire trap.

Before any boarding goes up, work out which doors and windows are the escape routes from each room, and leave those openings unboarded or board them in a way that can be opened from inside. If the only sound exit is a door that must be boarded because it is broken, arrange to stay elsewhere until it is repaired rather than sleeping behind a sealed opening. Our page on leaving your home locked when you have to evacuate covers the same balance from the other direction.

The same thinking applies to floodboards and sandbags. They are fitted to keep water out, but once the flood water has gone they should always be removed to help the property dry out²³, which also restores your normal ways in and out.

Keeping valuables and documents safe while the home is empty

A damaged, partly boarded house advertises that no one is living in it, so what is worth taking should not be in it. If flooding is still a risk, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service advise moving all portable, prized possessions such as photographs and valuables upstairs in plastic bags or on top of heavy furniture²². If you live in a house, move valuables upstairs; if you live in a ground floor flat or bungalow, make arrangements to stay with a neighbour or relative²⁴. The Met Office's flood plan advice is the same in one line: move your valuable belongings to a safe place¹².

The best protection is preparation done before any emergency. Suffolk's flood booklet advises keeping important documents and irreplaceable items of personal value in a safe place now, not waiting for a flood, and knowing what you would move to safety: pets, cars, electrical equipment, garden pot plants, furniture and garden equipment²⁰. A grab bag with copies of key documents means the originals can stay somewhere secure; see our emergency kit guide for what a household grab bag should hold.

If the home must be left empty, take with you:

• Originals of insurance policies, deeds, passports and other important documents
• Photographs and small irreplaceable items of personal value
• Small high-value portable items, which are what an opportunist intruder takes first
• A written or photographic record of what remains in the property

For the longer term, our pages on how to keep your valuables safe from thieves, home safes and property marking and keeping a record of valuables cover storing and identifying what you own.

Leaving a damaged home empty overnight

Sometimes the home cannot be occupied while it is secured and dried out. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's advice for leaving a home unoccupied after a fire is to inform your local police station and ask neighbours to keep an eye on your property¹⁰. Neighbours who know the house should be empty are the simplest and most effective watch there is, and they can report anything unusual while you are away.

Police advice on housebreaking notes that homes are more at risk in winter, because houses look empty if the lights are off¹³. Timer lighting on a battery or independent supply, or lights a neighbour can switch, makes the property look less empty. Our page on how to make your house look occupied when you're away covers this in detail, and leaving your home while you are on holiday and empty homes cover longer absences.

Two safety points if anyone does stay in a partly damaged home. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service warn that there is an increased risk of fire from wet electrics after a flood, so ensure you have a working smoke alarm¹⁶. And use a torch rather than trying to switch on the lights until the property has been checked¹⁵. Battery-powered smoke alarms and torches work regardless of whether the mains supply has been disconnected.

For accommodation itself, ask your insurance company or landlord if they will provide temporary accommodation, such as a nearby bed and breakfast, a static caravan or a rented house, and remember that you do not have to accept the first place you are offered⁷. If your property is damaged and not fit to live in, re-housing is the responsibility of your landlord or housing association if you rent, or your insurance company if you own the property²⁶.

Renters: what your landlord must do

If you rent, the division of responsibility is clear and it is mostly not yours. Somerset Council's housing guidance states that your landlord is responsible for repairs if flooding from rain affects your rented home, including fixing damage to the structure and making sure water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating are working⁶. Landlords must repair damage to the structure and exterior, such as walls, roof, windows and doors; repair plumbing, heating, gas, electricity and water supply systems; and repair fixtures and fittings they provided, such as carpets, curtains and appliances⁶. After a fire, it is the landlord's or building owner's responsibility to repair any damage to gas, electricity or water supplies⁵, and if you are a tenant it is your landlord's responsibility to secure the building⁵.

In England, landlords have a legal obligation to keep your home in repair, fit for human habitation and free from serious hazards²⁷. Your landlord is always responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of your home, including the drains, gutters and external pipes²⁷. With something serious or dangerous, like a boiler failure or electricity outage, it might be reasonable to expect the landlord to arrange for a technician to attend within 24 hours to carry out an initial inspection²⁷.

Tell your landlord as soon as possible if the home has flooded and needs repairs; they must complete repairs within a reasonable time⁶. It is the landlord's responsibility to insure the building, so contact them in the first instance¹⁴, and you may have a separate contents insurance policy of your own¹⁴. The landlord will deal with the structure of your home; for contents claims, contact your own insurer²⁸. Drying and clearing up is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord, though firefighters will pump out water and do some salvage work where possible¹⁸.

One exception: a tenant may have to pay the cost of repairing damage they themselves caused, for example water leaking into another flat from an overflowing bath²⁷.

Getting help with emergency repairs and security

Help exists at several levels, and the right door depends on your tenure and your insurance. If your home is flood damaged and you are not able to live there, contact your local council for help getting emergency accommodation⁹. If you are uninsured, you will be responsible for covering the cost of the damage, and your local authority or charities may be able to help with practical things such as skips or grants⁷; your district council may also be able to help with temporary accommodation¹⁴. Contact your local council if you need emergency housing because of flooding, particularly if you are legally homeless or about to become homeless².

In a wider major incident, councils support the emergency services and then help return life to normal as soon as possible. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, for example, works with Hampshire County Council to set up rest centres providing transport, shelter, food and information to people evacuated¹⁹. Belfast City Council provides health and safety advice on cleaning up after major flooding or pollution³. If you are supporting vulnerable neighbours who have been evacuated, alert the local council if further help is needed, such as transport, medication, temporary accommodation and medical attention²⁶.

Reporting a flooded property to the council also has a purpose beyond your own home: it helps the council investigate why the flood occurred and look for ways to reduce the risk of it happening again²⁹. Finally, seek support if you need it once you are home; recovering from an emergency is a process, not a single day³⁰. Our extra help guide covers support for older, disabled and medically dependent households, and after a burglary covers crime numbers, insurers, repairs and support if the worst happens.