Residential and housing

Homes and blocks of flats need security that works every day without feeling like a fortress. Burglary and forced entry set the threat for UK housing; the answer is rated front doors, communal entrances, windows and glazing, each matched to the risk.

• PAS 24Baseline enhanced security for new homes
• SR2 to SR3Higher forced entry ratings for at-risk homes
• SRA and SRBStealth ratings for quiet night-time attack
• LPS 1270Attack-rated glazing for vulnerable windows

The threats residential buildings face

Most residential attacks are opportunistic. A burglar tries the front door, then the back door, then the ground-floor windows, and moves on when something resists. The aim of residential security is to make that first attempt fail quickly and quietly enough that the intruder gives up.

Blocks of flats add the communal entrance. Tailgating, forced entry through a tired communal door, and propped-open fire exits let intruders reach every flat on every floor. Parcel theft, bike theft from stores and anti-social behaviour in stairwells all start at a weak entrance.

Higher-risk homes face more determined attack. Ground-floor flats, homes on busy streets and properties with visible valuables are targeted with hand tools at night, when noise matters. LPS 2081 exists for exactly this: it rates resistance to stealth attack with quiet tools.

The pattern to design against is displacement. Harden the front door and the attack moves to the patio doors. Harden those and it moves to the communal entrance. Every accessible opening needs a rating, or the money spent on the front door is wasted. Treat the building as one system, with the rating of each opening chosen for the attack it will actually face.

Think like a burglar, then specify. Walk the building and list every opening an intruder could reach: doors, windows, balconies, bin stores, basement hatches. Rate each one, or accept that it is the way in.

The standards and guidance for residential and housing

PAS 24 is the enhanced security standard for residential doors and windows, and the usual baseline for new homes. It tests to a lower threat level than LPS 1175, so higher-risk properties step up to SR2 or SR3 doorsets for the delay they give against a real tool attack.

For night-time attack, LPS 2081 rates SRA at one minute and SRB at three minutes against quiet tools. For glazing, LPS 1270 rates resistance to hand hole, arm hole and body passage.

Residential and housing zone by zone

Start from the table below and adjust for the building, its location and the people who live there.

Specification mistakes to avoid in residential and housing

• Rating the leaf and forgetting the frame. A strong door in a weak frame is forced at the frame. Specify the complete doorset, frame and ironmongery, as one tested assembly.
• Trusting a smart lock on a weak door. Electronics do not add forced entry resistance. The mechanical rating of the doorset is what stops a crowbar; the lock is only as good as the door around it.
• Leaving the communal door as the weak link. Flats with good front doors are still reached through a tired entrance. Rate the communal doorset and pair it with access control that residents will actually use.
• Ignoring the windows after hardening the doors. Ground-floor and basement windows are the next target. Match their rating to the doors or the attack simply moves sideways.
• Forgetting the fire exit route. Security must not trap residents. Keep escape routes clear and coordinate rated doors with the fire strategy, using fire and security doors where both are needed.

Frequently asked questions