Securing a villa left empty for the winter in Saint-Tropez

On the peninsula, most second homes are lived in for three months a year. From late September to May they stand closed — and that is precisely the window burglars choose. A house visibly unoccupied for months is a studied target, not an opportunistic one.

What actually threatens an empty villa

• Planned burglary: crews scout in summer (contractors, deliveries, social media) and strike off-season, when the neighbours have left too
• Squatting: the longer an illegal occupation settles in, the longer and costlier it is to end
• Silent damage: a water leak, storm infiltration, a heating failure — without regular visits, a minor fault becomes a building site
• Vandalism and party intrusions, particularly on isolated properties with a pool

Why an alarm alone is not enough

An alarm detects; it prevents nothing. Without someone attending on site, an activation is just a signal in a call centre — and the police do not attend an unverified alarm. Experienced burglars know this: on an isolated house, they work through the siren. The missing link is a human able to be there within minutes.

What works: three layers

What we put in place on villas around the Gulf combines three levels. First, visible deterrence: marked vehicle passes at random hours and regular signs of upkeep — a house that looks watched drops off target lists. Then interior and exterior patrols: checking access points, shutters and installations (water, electricity, pool), with a photographed report after every visit. Finally, alarm response: when an alarm activates, a local agent attends, assesses and takes it forward — police, emergency trades, insurer — without you having to manage anything from Paris, Geneva or London.

The right moves before closing the house

• Shut off the water and drain circuits exposed to frost — water damage is the number one loss in closed houses
• Leave a set of keys and your instructions with an identified professional rather than a passing acquaintance
• Avoid signs of absence: mail collected, garden maintained, lighting on a timer
• Check your insurance policy: many require regular visits to cover losses during prolonged vacancy
• Do not publish your departure dates — half of all scouting happens online

The cost of a few monthly visits bears no comparison to a burglary discovered in April, or water damage that has run all winter. And your insurer often requires it already.

See also — All advice