9% of Irish Homeowners Have Been Victims of Vandalism
- 9% of Irish homeowners have had their homes vandalised in the past 3 years
- Almost a quarter of homeowners know someone who’s home has been vandalised
- Broken windows accounts for almost a third of all acts of vandalism
In the past three years, almost 9% of Irish homeowners have had their homes vandalised. This is according to an AA Home Insurance survey of over 5,000 people. 7% of respondents stated that their home had been vandalised on one occasion during the past three years, with a further 2% having fallen victim to multiple incidents of vandalism.
The survey also found that 23% of those surveyed had avoided a personal experience of vandalism, but knew of at least one friend or relative who had had their property damaged.
“Any homeowner will know the cost of running a home; the bills, general upkeep and maintenance can really add up, so having to deal with acts of vandalism as well can be very frustrating” says Arwen Foley, spokesperson for AA Home Insurance. “You don’t always have to deal with the damage yourself, it’s worthwhile checking your home insurance policy to see if the repair costs are covered and don’t forget to call the Gardaí.”
According to the AA Home Insurance survey, broken windows and damage to a shed or garage were the most likely acts of vandalism experienced by homeowners in the past 3 years. In fact, 30% reported a broken window, while 16% reported that an outbuilding had been damaged during this time. Quite worryingly, the AA’s survey also found that 5% of incidents in the past 3 years involved attempted arson.
Dublin-based properties were shown to be more likely to be vandalised, with almost 11% saying their house was affected in the last 3 years. 8.46% of those living in the capital stated that their property had been vandalised on one occasion, with 2.37% having experienced multiple incidents in the past 3 years.
“Preventing vandalism can be very difficult, if not impossible, but these incidents do highlight the importance of home security and keeping your home insurance and contents cover up to date. Home insurance is there to cover you should an incident in or around your home require items to be repaired or replaced” advises Arwen.
Fig.1: Within the past 3 years, has your home been damaged as a result of an act of vandalism?
Based on 5,233 responses to an AA Home Insurance survey undertaken in November 2018.
| Yes, on one occasion | 6.58% |
| Yes, on more than one occasion | 1.94% |
| No, but I know of at least one friend/relative who has experienced this. | 23.45% |
| No | 68.03% |
Fig.2 What was the nature of the act of vandalism? (Mark more than one if appropriate.)
| Broken window | 30.05% |
| Graffiti | 3.76% |
| Damage to the garden | 11.27% |
| Damage to a shed/outbuilding | 15.96% |
| Arson | 4.23% |
| Attempted arson | 0.94% |
| Damaging or harmful items (e.g paint) thrown at the house | 9.86% |
| Damaging or harmful items put in letterbox | 1.41% |
| Other | 22.54% |