Securing outdoor furniture on a ground-level urban patio requires a layered approach combining physical security, visibility management, and deterrents. The most effective method is to physically anchor furniture to a permanent structure. Use heavy-duty anti-theft cables or chains made of coated steel, looped through furniture frames and around a sturdy patio anchor point, rail, or buried concrete footings, secured with a quality padlock. For lighter items, consider commercial furniture anchoring kits with ground screws or weighted bases.
Complement this with strategic placement. Keep furniture within sightlines from windows and under patio lighting, as thieves avoid well-lit, observable areas. Use motion-sensor lights for added effect. Mark your furniture with an engraver or UV pen with your postcode/house number, making items less attractive to resell and easier to recover.
For a comprehensive solution, integrate anchored security with removable elements. Use foldable or stackable furniture that you can store indoors overnight. Combine this with a visible security camera or a fake camera pointed at the patio, and ensure perimeter fences or gates are locked. The goal is to make stealing your furniture more time-consuming, noisy, and risky than it's worth, effectively deterring opportunistic theft in an urban setting.