Home Security · Problems

Home security problems

The biggest operational problem in home security is false alarms — the ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing reports that 94 to 98 percent of alarm activations are false, with user error causing roughly half of them. The biggest financial problem is a monitoring contract that auto-renews and cannot be exited. Both are preventable and both are on you to prevent before you sign or arm.

Get my free quote

The false alarm numbers are stark. ASU's research cites Dallas in 2004, where only 2.8 percent of 62,000 alarm calls were valid, and Salt Lake City in 1999, where 0.3 percent resulted from an actual crime. Nationally, police handled about 36 million alarm activations in 2002 at an estimated cost of $1.8 billion, representing 10 to 25 percent of all calls for service. The causes are mundane: "user errors, such as using incorrect keypad codes, leaving a door or window open when activating the alarm, roaming pets or helium balloons," plus faulty equipment and poor installation.

That matters to you in two ways. First, most departments allow only "three or four free false alarms per calendar year" before fining, per the same research, and those fines land on the homeowner. Second, some jurisdictions have moved to verified-response policies, meaning police will not dispatch on an unverified alarm signal at all. Ask your local police department's alarm unit which policy applies where you live before you buy monitoring.

The second cluster of problems is technical and boring: dead sensor batteries, a panel that lost its internet connection, a camera that quietly stopped uploading, and a cellular backup that was never actually activated. Systems fail silently. If you have never tested yours, you do not know whether it works — you know that it has not alarmed.

The third is contractual. Long monitoring agreements with auto-renewal clauses, early termination fees, and equipment leased inside the deal are the standard complaints in this industry. None of it is hidden — it is all in the agreement you did not read at the kitchen table with a salesperson waiting. Take the contract, keep the salesperson's card, and read it the next day.

How to choose

Test the system monthly, in test mode: Call the monitoring center to put the account on test, then trip every sensor. A system nobody tests is a system nobody knows about.
Ask your police department about verified response: In some jurisdictions police will not dispatch on an unverified alarm. That materially changes what monitoring is worth to you.
Learn the false alarm ordinance before installation: ASU's research notes most departments allow only three or four free false alarms a year. Find out your city's permit requirement and fine schedule.
Never sign a contract the same day you first see it: Read the auto-renewal, early termination and equipment ownership clauses somewhere quiet. Any company that will not let you do that has told you something.
Replace sensor batteries on a schedule: Do not wait for low-battery warnings you may not see. Write the date on each sensor when you install it.

0 of 7 live

All home security problems

False Alarms

Camera Offline

Alarm Not Arming

Doorbell Not Ringing

Smart Lock Battery Drain

Poor Camera Night Vision

System Locked to Provider

FAQ

Home Security problems — common questions

Still have a question? Talk to our team →

Why do security systems have so many false alarms?

Per the ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, 94 to 98 percent of alarm activations are false, and user error causes roughly half — wrong keypad codes, doors or windows left open at arming, pets and even helium balloons. Faulty equipment and poor installation account for much of the rest.

Will I be fined for false alarms?

Probably, after a few. ASU's research says most departments initially allow "three or four free false alarms per calendar year" before imposing fines. Your city's ordinance sets the actual allowance and fine amounts — call your police department's alarm unit and ask.

How do I get out of a home security contract?

That depends entirely on your agreement, and there is no universal answer. Find the term length, the auto-renewal clause, the cancellation notice window and method, and the early termination amount in your own contract. If equipment was leased or financed inside the agreement, that is a separate obligation. This is the reason to read the contract before signing rather than after.

How do I know my system is actually working?

Test it. Put the account in test mode with the monitoring center, trip every door, window and motion sensor, and confirm each one registered. Also confirm the communication path — if your panel reports over the internet only, unplug the router and see whether it still reports.

Sources

Where these figures come from

ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing — False Burglar Alarms · retrieved 2026-07-26