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Living on your own is an adventure, but you’re also likely a little nervous if you’re a woman. We’ve all seen news headlines where women experience break-ins and worse while living alone. Make your house safer around the clock with some home security tips that even work in rental spaces.

1. Replace Your Door Screws

Use a Phillips head screwdriver, and remove one of the screws in your front door’s hinges. If it’s one inch long, your door isn’t providing the security you need. Replacing them with four-inch hinge screws will make it harder for someone to kick the door in.

If you’re renting, talk with your landlord. They may approve of your upgrade because it will make your unit even more appealing to the next person who rents the space.

2. Get a Doorbell Camera

Doorbell cameras provide so much peace of mind. You can see who’s delivering your takeout, dropping off a package or approaching your home when you’re asleep. There were 1,873,230 home burglaries in 2025, which may have been a smaller number if every house had security cameras. Find one that attaches to your front door frame to start enjoying 24/7 monitoring and phone alerts if suspicious activity happens.

3. Keep a Weapon by Your Bed

If a really determined burglar happens to get through all of your security measures, you should have something to defend yourself. Keep your preferred weapon next to your bed. Hopefully, you’ll never need it, but you’ll be glad it’s there in an emergency. You could defend yourself with pepper spray, a baseball bat or a pair of sharp scissors. A kitchen knife will suffice while you figure out what you want to use long-term.

A gun might make you feel safer than anything. If you’d prefer to use one in self-defense, check your state regulations to get the necessary license for legal gun ownership. You’ll also need to get a safe, so find one that fits under your bed. Renters could also need to notify their landlord that they have a gun on the premises, depending on the wording in their leases. 

4. Turn Off the Locations in Your Photos

When you’re not exploring the set of King’s Landing in Croatia, you’re likely taking pictures of your everyday life. The photos of your homemade dinners could have your exact location in the metadata. Go into your phone’s settings to check the location permissions. You should turn off location access to your Photos app or camera.

You can also double-check individual pictures or videos by tapping on the metadata setting and scrolling to see whether it has a location listed. Making your home harder to find online is one of the best home security ideas in a digital world.

5. Take a Self-Defense Class

Affordable self-defense classes are available throughout the country. See if a local gym or martial arts facility is hosting them near your house. You can also find self-defense tips online and practice them in your living room. You could have more peace of mind knowing that you can defend yourself in an emergency.

6. Change Your Locks After Moving

Consider how recently you moved into your living space. If it was within the last few weeks, you may want to change your locks. The previous owner could have made an extra copy of their house key and accidentally kept it after moving out. You don’t want that key falling into the wrong hands.

Renters can do something similar. While your landlord might not want to pay to change your locks, many door handle sets have small buttons on the bottom for instant re-keying. You can also find a re-keying tool at most home improvement stores. Get your landlord’s permission and give them a copy of your new key if you decide to re-key your unit.

7. Try Bluetooth Lights

Many people with bad intentions will target homes that look empty. Sometimes, all you need to avoid a burglary is a lightbulb. Adding Bluetooth lights to your living space is one of the easiest home security ideas that people don’t often remember.

Install one in a lamp within a room overlooking your street. If the bulb automatically turns on and off according to your preferred schedule, people will think someone’s always awake in your house. You may even like them enough to use them throughout your home and never have to worry about flipping a light switch again.

8. Install Security Cameras

Security cameras can point anywhere around your property, which may be best if you live in a rural area. They’re among numerous home security best practices that experts recommend because your cameras can keep a backup log of suspicious activity. 

If you need to prove your case in court or point police toward the person you think is harassing you, you’ll have video evidence backing you up. Some camera companies even provide 24/7 monitoring, so someone will call 911 if you’re busy dealing with an emergency.

9. Get to Know Your Neighbors

Only 26% of Americans know their neighbors, but things don’t have to stay that way. Invite your neighbors over for dinner or offer to host a block party. While being best friends with the person across the street won’t prevent a burglary, the relationship may help in other situations where your safety is at risk.

When your home gets damaged in a hurricane, fire or earthquake, you won’t have to sleep with holes in your walls if you can stay with your neighbor. They might also give you a heads-up if they experience suspicious activity themselves, which could give you time to add preventive measures to your property and keep criminals away.

10. Add More Locks to Your Doors

The locks that came with your front or back door don’t have to remain your only security measures. You can always add another deadbolt or a night latch. They require minimal tools, but you can also find what you need at a home improvement store. Watch a YouTube video to follow the exact instructions and secure your home with a quick, budget-friendly project. 

Consider Home Security Tips for Your Living Space

Everyone should be able to enjoy living by themselves. Women can make themselves feel safer with easy security tips, like adding locks to their doors or investing in self-defense classes. No matter what makes you feel safer, you’ll be glad you made proactive changes the next time you see a terrible headline in the local news.