Halloween Home Insurance and Safety Tips

During Halloween, home insurance should cover you for damages from vandalism, theft, fires and some spooky trickery. However, you can improve your Halloween home safety by protecting your property and reducing your liability exposure, like clearing tripping hazards in your front yard, testing your security system and switching to flameless candles.

Keep reading to learn more about Halloween home insurance and safety tips to help protect against tricks and pranks pulled throughout the night.

What Spooky Tricks Are Most Common on Halloween?

When you combine Halloween with increased substance use and reckless young adults, your property may be the target of vandalism, theft, fires and liability issues. In addition to stocking up on candy for trick-or-treating, you should watch out for criminal activity on Halloween night.

Vandalism

Vandalism, especially on Halloween, is typically found as harmless pranks like throwing eggs, smashing pumpkins, toilet papering your house and yard or covering your property in silly string. However, even seemingly harmless pranks could result in unintentional damage, such as a poorly aimed egg toss cracking or breaking a window.

Homeowners should also be wary of intentional vandalism to their homes and Halloween decorations, as some reckless behavior can get out of hand, such as damaged Halloween decorations or even a car parked outside. Fortunately, homeowners insurance typically covers damage caused by intentional and unintentional acts of vandalism.

Theft

Your house is a more vulnerable target for theft if the perpetrator thinks you're not home. Approximately 72% of home burglaries occur while the residents aren’t home, with some burglars monitoring homes to wait for their owners to leave — making a break-in easier.^[1] While you're out at a Halloween party, your home may be targeted for burglary or vandalism.

If you stay inside this Halloween, you may still be at risk of theft. With more people walking the streets on this holiday, the likelihood of somebody stealing your lawn ornaments or even your car increases. Nearly 3,000 vehicles were stolen during Halloween in 2023, higher than other holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.^[2]

Other Possible Losses To Consider

Jack-o’-lanterns illuminated with a wax candle look festive but can be fire hazards. A trick-or-treater may accidentally knock over your jack-o’-lantern, causing a candle to spread fire to dry leaves and, eventually, your home. Between 2019 and 2023, an average of 832 home fires occurred due to decorations, resulting in 3 deaths, 28 injuries and $17 million in property damage.^[3]

These Halloween house fires were frequently caused by decorations being too close to a heat source or directly due to candle fires.^[3]

The increased traffic to your home’s doorstep also creates more opportunities for accidents, like trick-or-treaters tripping over electrical cords or Halloween décor. If someone is injured on your property, you could be held responsible and be required to pay for the injured party’s medical care. Homeowners should take extra steps to clear tripping hazards and ensure all walkways are well-lit to avoid accidental injuries.

What Type of Home Insurance Protects You From Tricks on Halloween?

A standard homeowners insurance policy may cover you for damages on Halloween related to vandalism, theft, fire and liability expenses. Since most lenders require this type of home insurance, you should already have coverage from your homeowners policy.

You’ll have to meet your plan’s deductible before your insurance will cover a loss. Keep in mind that filing a home insurance claim may not always be worth it if the damage done is less or equal to your plan’s deductible.

Here’s how coverages work in a standard policy:

Homeowners insurance does not cover damages to your car on Halloween but your auto insurance may. If your car is stolen or vandalized during Halloween, you will need comprehensive insurance coverage to be reimbursed for your loss. You’ll likely pay for your losses out of pocket if you have liability-only coverage.

What Happens if Trick-Or-Treaters Get Hurt on My Property?

The bodily injury liability portion of your homeowners insurance policy may cover a trick-or-treater if they are hurt while on your property. For example, your insurer could pay for the trick-or-treater’s medical expenses if they break an ankle after tripping over an electric cord powering your Halloween display. However, you can often expect higher insurance rates after filing a claim, which may incentivize you to reduce your liability exposure on Halloween.

A standard homeowners policy will also provide coverage if you’re held liable for another person’s property damage. For example, say a mom brings her child to your doorstep but accidentally drops her phone after a Halloween decoration falls on her. Your policy’s personal liability coverage may reimburse the mom for her damaged phone and any injuries she sustained.

How To Protect Your Home From Tricksters on Halloween

Use the following Halloween safety tips to protect your home from accidents, pranks and malicious behavior so you can avoid filing Halloween home insurance claims:

1. Park Your Car in the Garage or Behind a Gate

A locked gate or garage door can be a simple deterrent to auto theft, as the less access a thief has to your car, the better. If you don’t have a garage or gate, consider investing in a wheel chock lock and steering wheel lock to protect your car from theft.

2. Keep Your Yard Clear and Well-Lit

Clutter in your yard and walkway creates tripping hazards. When decorating your yard, ensure pathways are clear and well-lit with outdoor lights, such as a porch light or seasonally appropriate spooky lights. Replace burned-out bulbs before Halloween night, as you may only realize the path to your house is poorly lit at the last minute.

Also, keep your yard clear of leaves, garden hoses and rocks. Sweep wet leaves off any stone pavement on your property, as they can be a potential trip hazard for running children.

3. Secure Your Pets Somewhere Safe

The last thing you need on a major holiday — or any day — is for your dog to bite someone. Halloween can be anxiety inducing for pets, with random strangers coming to your home, ringing your doorbell and knocking until someone answers. Even a well-behaved dog can become riled up and protective, potentially biting someone, so it's worth taking extra precautions and keeping your pets inside and preoccupied.

Fortunately, the medical payments coverage of your homeowners policy should typically cover minor medical bills for injured parties, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.^[4]

4. Fortify Your Mailbox

Your mailbox can fall victim to drunk drivers losing control of their vehicles or even vandals swinging at mailboxes with baseball bats as they drive through the street. Fortunately, homeowners insurance may cover your mailbox damage, but double-check with your insurance carrier if you have a free-standing mailbox adjacent to your property line. Consider building a protective guard rail around your mailbox to protect your mail and small packages.

5. Treat Visitors Kindly

While the actions of others may be outside your control, trick-or-treaters may retaliate against your home and property if you treat them unkindly. By offering a friendly attitude, generous candy handouts and costume compliments, you can help build goodwill with visitors and reduce the risk of retaliatory behavior. Some children or teenagers may be looking for any excuse to cause mischief on Halloween night, and acts of kindness can serve as a deterrent to choosing your house as the target.

6. Turn Off Your Main Lights and Shut Your Curtains

When you’re not actively monitoring your home for Halloween festivities and trick-or-treaters, indicate that your home isn’t open for more Halloween festivities. Fewer people visiting your property lowers the likelihood of accidental injuries and subsequent liability claims. 

Keep your curtains drawn and turn off any decorations or outdoor lights on your porch to deter people from coming to your door. However, keeping some indoor lights on may be worthwhile to deter potential thieves or vandals who may think you aren’t home.

7. Keep Watch With Your Neighbors

One of the best defenses you have against burglars and vandals is your neighbors. Introduce yourself to the people on your street and agree to keep each other informed about suspicious activity. 

For example, if one of your neighbors is robbed or witnesses strange activity, having a connection with them increases the likelihood and speed with which you’ll be notified of theft or vandalism in the area. Likewise, if you’re not home and someone is seen trying to break into your house, a neighbor who knows you is more likely to notify you or contact authorities.

8. Use Flameless Candles

Jack-o’-lanterns paired with the heat of real candles release a wonderful pumpkin scent but can also increase the fire risk. Left unattended, flames from a candle can tip and spark a fire in surrounding areas. Switching to LED candles or glow sticks mimics the warm light without the fire hazard.

9. Install Doorbells or Security Cameras

Installing cameras and other security devices on your property can serve as a deterrent against vandals and thieves and may even qualify you for a smart home device discount. Halloween visitors with nefarious intentions may be more hesitant after realizing they’re on camera, with approximately 50% of burglars opting to avoid targeting homes equipped with outdoor cameras.^[5]

If you file an insurance claim and notify the police, having camera footage to prove when and how the crime happened can benefit the investigation by showing the perpetrator alongside any damage or stolen property. This footage can also be provided to your insurance carrier as evidence of your claim, which may help speed up the reimbursement process.

10. Secure Your Doors and Windows

While ghosts might be able to pass through secured doors and windows easily, thieves and vandals can’t. Even if thieves attempt to pick the lock, they may give up if the extra time and effort outweigh the potential benefit — especially if you have an alarm system installed. For example, studies show that approximately 60% of burglars will avoid homes with an alarm system, and about 50% will abandon a burglary in progress if they realize their target has an alarm.^[5]

Installing motion-sensing lights around your home’s entry points can also deter burglaries.

How Do I File a Halloween Home Insurance Claim?

Follow these simple steps for filing Halloween home insurance claims if your property is damaged or stolen this Halloween:

Document Your Losses and Damages 

Take pictures of damage to your property or injuries to others in good lighting and from multiple angles. For example, if someone topples an expensive Halloween decoration or trips on your stairs and cuts themselves while walking up for trick-or-treating, photos can serve as important evidence. Video captured from a home security camera can also be submitted. If you have a home inventory with receipts that prove the value of lost items, submit copies to your insurance company.

File a Police Report 

Home insurance companies usually want you to file a police report if any criminal activity is involved, such as a Halloween vandal damaging your home or a costumed thief breaking in while you’re at a party. Make sure you document the name and badge number of the police officers and ask how to obtain a copy of the police report, as you’ll need to supply it to your insurer when filing a claim.

Notify Your Insurance Company as Soon as Possible 

Depending on your insurance company, you can submit a claim via mobile app, online portal or by calling an insurance agent. Pause any ongoing Halloween festivities, as some policies require you to file your claim as soon as possible.^[6] After providing your policy number and documentation of the incident, your agent can explain the claims process, requirements and whether the claim will exceed your deductible.

Accept the Settlement 

After negotiating the settlement, you can use the check to replace damaged property, such as smashed windows from a Halloween prank gone wrong or a burned wall from a toppled decorative candle. If your home was damaged, compare quotes from at least three contractors to determine a fair price for the repair work.