The holidays are when a lot of LA homes sit empty for days at a time, and an empty home is easier to spot than most people realize, piled-up mail, dark windows every night, a package left on the porch. The good news is that a little planning before you leave goes a long way. This holiday home security checklist is the same advice we give our own clients before they travel, built from years of installing and servicing systems across Los Angeles since 2015. None of it requires buying anything fancy; the technology just makes the basics easier.
By the OnBoard IT Tech team, a licensed LA installer (CA #1039864). Serving Los Angeles since 2015.
Make the house look lived-in
The single most effective thing you can do is make an empty home look occupied. A house that stays completely dark every evening signals that no one is home.
- Put a few interior lights on timers or smart plugs so they turn on and off in a natural pattern, not all at once.
- Ask a neighbor or friend to move your trash bins to the curb and back on collection day, bins that never move are a giveaway.
- Leave a car in the driveway if you can, or ask a neighbor to occasionally park in front.
Small signs of normal life do more to deter someone than a single dramatic gesture.
Stop the pile-up
Nothing announces “we’re away” like accumulation. Hold your mail and newspaper delivery, or have someone collect them daily. If you’re expecting packages, either pause deliveries or have them sent somewhere secure or to a trusted neighbor. A porch stacked with boxes is both a theft target and a clear signal the house is unattended. If porch package theft is a recurring worry, a camera covering the front door is one of the most useful spots you can add, more on that below.
Check your cameras and alarm before you go
If you already have a security system, don’t assume it’s ready, verify it.
- Confirm your cameras are actually recording and that you can view them from your phone before you leave, not after something happens.
- Check that footage is being stored the way you expect, whether that’s a local recorder or the cloud, and that there’s enough capacity for the time you’ll be gone.
- Test your alarm system and make sure any monitoring contacts and phone numbers on file are current.
- Make sure the people who’d be called or notified know you’ll be traveling.
If you don’t have coverage on your main entry points yet, the front door and any hidden side or back access are the places to prioritize. Our security camera installation and alarm system installation pages explain how we plan coverage around the spots that actually matter.
Don’t advertise your trip
It’s easy to undo good physical preparation with a phone. Wait until you’re home to post holiday photos, a public post that you’re out of town is an open invitation. Be mindful of automatic replies or voicemail greetings that mention you’re away, and keep travel plans off public profiles. Tell the handful of people who need to know, and no more.
Holiday home security checklist: the basics people forget
A few old-fashioned steps still matter as much as any gadget.
- Lock every door and window, including the ones you rarely use, like a garage side door or a second-floor window near a flat roof.
- Don’t hide a spare key outside, the usual hiding spots are the first places anyone checks. Leave a spare with someone you trust instead.
- Unplug or power down anything that doesn’t need to run while you’re gone, but leave your security system and network powered so your cameras and alarm keep working.
- Trim any overgrown shrubs near entry points before you leave so cameras have a clear view and there’s nowhere to hide.
Have a plan for while you’re away
Decide in advance who checks on the house and how you’ll respond if something looks off. Give a trusted neighbor a way to reach you and, ideally, access to walk the property. If you get a camera or alarm notification while traveling, the right move is almost always to contact your monitoring service or local authorities rather than trying to handle it yourself from afar. Knowing that plan before you leave keeps a false alarm from ruining your trip and makes a real one far easier to deal with.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the most important thing to do before traveling? Make the home look lived-in and stop anything from piling up. Lights on timers, held mail, and moved trash bins do more than most people expect, and they cost little or nothing.
Should I leave lights on the whole time I’m gone? No, lights burning 24 hours a day look as unnatural as a dark house. Use timers or smart plugs so a few lights follow a normal evening pattern.
I already have cameras. What should I check? Confirm they’re recording, that you can view them remotely, and that you have enough storage for the time you’ll be away. Test your alarm and make sure your contact information is current.
Can OnBoard help before a trip? Yes. If you want coverage added or an existing system checked before you travel, call 818-564-3496 or request a free on-site assessment. We’re licensed and insured, and we’ve served Los Angeles since 2015.
