Should You Post About Your Holiday on Social Media?

No. Police and fire services across the UK give the same advice: do not post details of your trip while you are away, because many criminals monitor social media looking for posts that show a home is empty. Save the posts until you get home¹.

The risk is not imaginary. Housebreaking is more likely during holidays, because thieves know valuables are more likely to be inside³. A public profile makes it worse: talking about your holiday on social media could tell an opportunistic burglar that your home will be empty for a couple of weeks¹. And leaving your home empty while you are away carries a higher risk of burglars targeting it².

The good news is that the fix is simple and costs nothing. Share the photos when you are back, check what strangers can see on your accounts, and spend half an hour before you leave making the house look lived in. This page sets out what to do, in the order you need it.

Why a holiday post tells a burglar your home is empty

A holiday post is not just a photograph. It is a dated, public statement that nobody is at your address, usually with a location attached and a return date implied. Criminals look for exactly that. Police in Wales put it plainly: many criminals monitor social media, and they will search for posts about your holidays which may indicate that your home is empty².

The timing matters as much as the content. A post on the first morning of a two-week trip gives a burglar a fortnight's notice. Housebreaking is more likely during holidays because thieves know valuables will be inside³. One in three festive burglaries happen because homes are left insecure⁵, which is a reminder that the post and the unlocked window often work together.

There is a second, quieter problem. Even a post that does not name your town can give the game away through detail: a school uniform, a street sign, a landmark, a hotel key card on the table. Police advise that even with location tags turned off, you and your children should avoid sharing other clues to location such as school uniforms and badges, street signs and landmarks⁶.

The practical rule is easy to remember and easy to explain to a family: the trip goes online when you get back, not while it is happening. If you want to share in the moment, send pictures directly to the people you would ring anyway.

Why a public profile matters more than the post itself

A single post is only as visible as your account allows. That is why the first thing to check is not the post but the audience. Official advice is to review your social media privacy settings to see what other internet users can see about you⁴, and to keep social media profiles private⁷.

What is visible matters because of what it adds up to. Social media can give people access to several types of personal information from what you post or from hacking your account: your name, location, workplace, friends and family, usernames and email addresses, and social groups and interests⁶. A burglar who can see your workplace, your family and your street does not need a location tag.

It is also worth remembering that posts are public and permanent. Even when private or deleted, posts can be shared or stay on the internet as screenshots⁶. Deleting a post after the event does not un-tell the story.

Two further habits help. Avoid repeating passwords for different accounts⁹. And if you are caught up in a cyber incident or a major IT failure while travelling, avoid creating more confusion by spreading rumours or unconfirmed information¹⁰.

Safer ways to share your holiday

You do not have to choose between sharing nothing and broadcasting an empty house. There are several middle routes, and they differ in who sees what and when.

Whichever you choose, strip the clues. Police advise avoiding school uniforms and badges, street signs and landmarks even when location tags are off⁶. Turn the tag off as well, but treat it as one layer, not the whole answer.

Parents have an extra job. Police advise encouraging safe choices online and offline, and challenging risky behaviour that is being shared or copied on social media¹². Children copy what they see, so agree the family rule before you go and apply it to everyone, including visiting relatives.

Securing your home before you go away

The post is only half the story. The other half is what a burglar finds when they arrive. Police advice for before a holiday is straightforward: check and lock your doors, windows, sheds and garages, put the burglar alarm on, ask someone trusted to check the house regularly and bring in bins and post, and use timers on lights¹.

Start with the obvious. Lock doors when you leave and when you return⁵. Give the property an occupied look by using timer switches for lights when your home is empty⁵. Do not make it obvious you are not at home: leaving bins out for days or letting mail pile up is a sure sign no one is home¹.

Post is the detail people forget. Ask a trusted neighbour to move your post, or ask Royal Mail to hold your letters until you return using the Keepsafe service². Police in Scotland give the same advice: use Royal Mail's Keepsafe service to stop your post going to your house³.

A few more steps are worth the time:

• Tell the police if the house will be unoccupied. Official guidance advises informing the police if your house is unoccupied¹⁴. Use the non-emergency route, not 999.
• Report street lighting faults. A dark street can make a home look more attractive to burglars, so make sure the local authority knows about problems with the lighting².
• Use Neighbourhood Watch. Local schemes can help when you are on holiday by increasing surveillance of your property and encouraging neighbours to report suspicious activity¹³.
• Mark your valuables. Police advise marking valuables with your postcode and house number, and keeping gifts and expensive items out of view¹⁵.
• Tell the people who need to know. Tell family, friends and carers where you are going, and let NHS or social care providers know if you receive visits from them¹⁶.

If you want a fuller walk-through, the holiday security checklist sets these out in order, and leaving your home while you are on holiday covers the wider routine. For the insurance angle, see home insurance conditions.

What to do if you are away and something happens

Being away does not change what you should do if something goes wrong at home, but it does change who needs to know. Tell family and friends where you are going so they know where to find you and how to contact you if something happens¹⁷. That single step means someone can act on your behalf.

If you are evacuated or have to leave accommodation while away, the same principle applies: remember to tell family, friends and carers where you are going, and let NHS or social care providers know if you receive visits from them¹⁶. If you are travelling in bad weather, tell someone where you are going and let them know when you get back¹⁸.

Fire safety does not stop at your own front door. If you are staying at different accommodation over the festive period, plan and check your escape routes and look for any potential fire risks, reporting them when necessary⁵. Make sure your family and visitors staying for the festive period know what to do in an emergency, and practise a fire escape plan⁵. If you have guests staying, share your escape plan with them¹⁹, and once you are out, stay out²⁰.

Before you travel, find your nearest pharmacy, urgent treatment centre or minor injuries unit in advance, take plenty of regular prescribed medication, and if you are going abroad learn the local emergency services numbers²². If you are staying somewhere unfamiliar, plan and check your escape routes and look for fire risks, reporting them when necessary⁵.

Where to get help and advice

Most of what you need is available before you leave, from sources you can check in a few minutes.

• Your local police force publishes crime prevention advice, including pre-holiday routines and home protection. Start with the home security section for the wider picture.
• Your local fire and rescue service publishes home safety and escape planning advice, including for guests and visitors¹⁹.
• Neighbourhood Watch schemes can increase surveillance of your property while you are away and encourage neighbours to report suspicious activity¹³. See joining or starting a Neighbourhood Watch.
• Royal Mail's Keepsafe service holds your letters while you are away².
• The Met Office shares weather warnings that you can pass on to family and friends or through social media, which is a useful way to be active online without revealing your plans¹¹.

If you are going away and want to think through the whole routine, the holiday security checklist and how to make your house look occupied are the next pages to read. For the question of whether to tell the police, see should you tell the police your home will be empty. And if you come home to a break-in, what to do first sets out the first steps.