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What to Do If Someone Breaks Into Your Home

By Guardian Angel DIY · Updated October 27, 2026 · 9 min read

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Most people never face an intruder inside their home, and most of what this site teaches is aimed at making sure you never do. But it is worth knowing in advance what to do if the worst happens, because the decisions you make in the first minute matter, and fear makes them hard. The core idea is simple: protect people, not property. Your goal is to get your household to safety and get the police there as fast as you can. This guide gives you a clear, calm sequence to follow, in the situations you are most likely to face.

Four principles

1. People matter, things do not. Televisions, laptops and jewelry can be replaced. You cannot be.
2. Distance and barriers are your friends. Every closed door, locked room or open exit between you and an intruder helps.
3. Information gets help moving. A clear call tells police where to go and what to expect.
4. Plan ahead. The calm version of you decides now, so the stressed version of you only has to follow the plan.

This guide does not cover weapons or fighting. Those are personal, legal and training questions that are outside what a short article can responsibly teach. What it covers is how to avoid contact, get help and stay as safe as possible.

If you hear something at night

A noise in the house at night is far more often a pet, a pipe or a family member than an intruder. But treat it seriously, and do not check alone.

1. Stay where you are, and listen. Check on the people in your room.
2. If you think someone is inside, gather the people near you and go to your safe room, or leave by a safe exit if that is closer and clearer. Do not walk toward the sound.
3. Lock the door and call 911. Speak quietly, and follow the dispatcher's lead.
4. Silence your phone's sounds, and keep lights low unless the dispatcher says otherwise.
5. Do not go to find others if it means moving toward the intruder. Tell the dispatcher where they are.
6. Wait for police. Do not open the door until the dispatcher confirms that officers are there.

If your plan includes an alarm panic button, press it. If you have cameras, check them from your phone only if it does not put you at risk. For how to set up the room itself, see setting up a safe room.

If someone is at your door or trying to get in

• Do not open the door. You do not owe anyone a conversation.
• Speak through the closed, locked door, or by camera or intercom. Say that you are not available, or that you are calling the police.
• Call 911 if they refuse to leave, try the handle, break something or look in windows. Give a description, and say where they are.
• Move away from the door and windows, and gather the household.
• Watch, do not engage. A doorbell camera helps you stay safe while you see what is happening.

Our guide to video doorbells and cameras covers the tools that let you do this from inside.

If you come home and something looks wrong

An open door, a broken window or a forced lock means someone may still be inside.

1. Do not go in. The same goes for the garage.
2. Leave the area, and go to a neighbor's home or your car.
3. Call 911 from a safe place, and tell them what you saw.
4. Wait outside, at a safe distance, for police. Do not re-enter until officers say it is clear.
5. Tell the police if anyone else was supposed to be home.

What to say on the 911 call

The dispatcher will ask questions, and you should answer them in order. A good call has this shape:

1. Your address. Give it first and clearly, in case the line drops.
2. What is happening. "Someone has broken into my home," "I hear someone downstairs," or "someone is trying to open my door."
3. Where you are. "I am in the upstairs bedroom with my family, with the door locked."
4. How many people are with you, including children, and whether anyone is hurt.
5. What you know about the intruder: how many, where they are, what they look like, and what they are doing.

Stay on the line, even if you have to whisper. If you cannot speak, leave the line open, or text if your area supports it. Rules for text-to-911 differ, so find out whether yours does. Our family emergency plan guide includes making sure every older child can give the address.

Alerting your neighbors

If it is safe, a loud signal can bring attention, startle an intruder and tell neighbors to call. It should be a tool you have planned for, not something improvised.

• A safety horn. A single canister produces a very loud blast that carries a long way. It needs no learning, but the canister runs out and must be replaced.
• A bullhorn or megaphone. It lets you call out short, pre-planned messages to neighbors, such as "Call 911" or "Need help." Some have a siren mode. Keep batteries fresh.
• A bright flashlight or spotlight. A strong beam pointed out a window can signal distress and can be seen from across a yard. It does not say what is wrong, so agree on a signal with neighbors.
• Lights. Turning on lights, inside or out, can make a person leave.

Agree on signals with your neighbors ahead of time, so that they know what a horn blast or a light means. Do not make noise if you are hiding and the intruder does not know where you are. In that case, quiet and a phone call are better, and the dispatcher can advise you. Our video on neighborhood communication covers how to set this up.

If you cannot avoid contact

Sometimes there is no time to retreat, or the intruder is between you and the exit. No article can tell you exactly what to do, but a few general principles are widely taught:

• Escape if you safely can. Distance and an open exit are better than a standoff.
• Make noise on your way out, if that helps you get away and be seen.
• Do not argue over property. If someone demands things, giving them up is usually safer than resisting.
• Protect your family by keeping them behind you and out of reach, if that is possible.
• Call as soon as you can.

Some households also keep a lawful, non-lethal defensive product, such as a pepper gel. Laws on buying and carrying these vary by state and city, so check your local rules first. They need training and care: gels are designed to reduce blowback, but they can still contaminate a room, they expire, and they are only for immediate need when you cannot leave. Never use one as a reason to investigate, and never use one through a door. If you consider one, read the instructions, practice with the safety, store it safely away from children and keep it in a known spot.

After it is over

1. Wait for police, and follow their directions. Do not touch or clean up anything in the area.
2. Check for injuries, and get medical help if needed.
3. Give a statement, and ask for the report number. You will need it for insurance.
4. Make a list of what is missing or damaged, with photos and serial numbers if you have them.
5. Secure the entry point. Repair the door or window, or board it up, and change locks if keys were taken.
6. Look after each other. A break-in is upsetting. Talk with your family, especially children, and seek support if you feel anxious or unsafe afterward.
7. Review the plan, and fix what failed. Our home security audit is a good place to start.

For children and teens home alone

• Do not open the door for anyone, and do not say that you are alone.
• If someone is at the door, say, "My parent cannot come to the door."
• If you think someone is inside, go to the safe room or leave, call 911 and then a parent.
• Know the address and the numbers. Keep them on the fridge and in the phone.
• No one is in trouble for calling. Make that clear.

Most of the work comes before

The best response is one that is never needed. A solid door and frame, locked windows, lights and an alert make forced entry less likely, and they give you more warning and more time if it happens. Start with reinforcing your front door and our guide to alarms with no monthly fee.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Going to look. Retreat and call instead.
• Opening the door to check. Stay behind it.
• Hanging up on the dispatcher. Stay on the line.
• Entering after a break-in. Wait for the police to clear the house.
• Trusting an unfamiliar voice. Wait for the dispatcher to confirm that police are there.
• Skipping practice. A plan not rehearsed is hard to follow under stress.

Frequently asked questions