October 21, 2025, 3:43 am | Read time: 4 minutes
In fall and winter, there’s a high season for pickpockets. Under the cover of the dark seasons, burglars particularly like to go on the prowl. A break-in into one’s own home is very distressing for those affected. To make it as difficult as possible for thieves, myHOMEBOOK spoke with the police about ways to make house or apartment doors burglar-proof.
Burglars do not want to spend much time on doors. Therefore, they specifically look for weak points to break the door open using crowbars, wedges, screwdrivers, or pliers. For resistance against forced entry, there is the DIN EN 1627 for doors. The standard is divided into different resistance classes, abbreviated as RC for “Resistance Class.” There are six different classes, ranging from 1 for minimal protection to 6 for the best possible protection.
Burglar-Proof Doors “All of a Piece”
The RC combined with the number indicates how many minutes a component must withstand before a burglar has broken the resistance. “For a private house or apartment, the resistance class RC2 offers good burglary protection,” explains a spokesperson for the police crime prevention of the states and the federal government in Stuttgart upon inquiry by myHOMEBOOK. Such a door and all its components are guaranteed to withstand at least three minutes.
“With doors of resistance class RC2, there are no weak points, as the entire construction with door leaf, frame, lock, and fittings is, so to speak, ‘all of a piece,'” explains the police spokesperson. The burglar-proof door should definitely be installed by a professional company and later regularly checked for possible weak points.
Tip: A police-supported portal can help in the search. Here, homeowners or apartment owners can find a list of police-recommended manufacturers of tested and certified doors.
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Retrofitting Not Without Professional Help
Sometimes it is enough to retrofit additional security devices without replacing the entire door. “Often a good additional lock with a security bar is sufficient. This reliably prevents the door from being forced open when it is ajar,” explains the spokesperson for police crime prevention. Additionally, an intercom system combined with an integrated video camera can be useful.
Furthermore, the police warn not to forget about other existing doors regarding burglary protection. The biggest weak points are balcony, basement, or patio doors. Crime statistics show: The fewest burglaries occur through the front door. Almost half of all burglaries happen through inadequately secured side doors.
Those who want to comprehensively protect their own home should not do it alone and on their own initiative. It is more sensible to consult a professional company or, even better, a police advisory center. They can identify weak points better than a layperson. There is also a police-supported search engine for this purpose.
Note: After the inspection, the officers also provide tips on whether there are government-funded loans for certain structural measures or retrofits that contribute to burglary protection, for example, through the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) or the KfW Bank (KfW).
Video Surveillance Alone Does Not Help
A quick look at surveillance cameras: Many homeowners resort to them. “Video surveillance alone does not prevent a burglary,” warns the police spokesperson. However, in combination with the other solutions presented, such cameras can prevent worse. “For many perpetrators, video surveillance is a deterrent. Combined with an alarm notification, it increases the risk for the perpetrators of being discovered. With appropriate quality, recorded images can help in the search for the perpetrators.”
Before installing surveillance cameras, homeowners should inform themselves about data protection regulations. Certain legal requirements apply to the video surveillance of one’s own home and property. Information on this is provided by the data protection supervisory authorities of the states.