5 ways to protect a vacant property5 ways to protect a vacant property
Recent events have seen more and more commercial properties in the UK left lying empty for a prolonged period of time.
If you are responsible for a property or multiple properties, it is inevitable that at some point it will be vacant at least for a short period, whilst you look for a new tenant.
If you are not careful an empty property can be a major financial liability, not only costing you money in lost rent but also being much more likely to be the target of break-ins and other criminal activity.
Not only can criminal activity lead to you potentially having to pay for costly repairs to your property, but if an incident does occur whilst the building is unoccupied, it is likely that your existing insurance will be invalid.
Most property insurance only applies whilst the building is in use and if you expect to have to leave it vacant for a sustained period you will have to secure Unoccupied Property Compliance Insurance which is much harder to obtain and may require you to install additional security measures.
Some of the most effective security measures that you could consider putting in place if you are the owner of a vacant property include:
1. Installing Security Screens
Windows are one of the most vulnerable parts of any property and are commonly used as entry points by burglars and vandals.
Installing tamper proof steel metal sheets over the windows of your vacant property will add an additional layer of security to your windows and make it much harder to gain unauthorised access.
When installing security screens, you should ensure that they cover the entire frame of the external windows and are fastened and secured in place using bolts.
This fixing mechanism will not do any damage to the window frames themselves but will prevent trespassers from easily removing them.
Zinc-coated or perforated steel sheets are by far the most effective security screens and are far superior to traditional wooden panels that can easily be removed by an experienced criminal.
2. Install Security Doors
An even more obvious potential entry point than your windows, the doors of a vacant property are almost always the first point of entry attempted by an intruder.
Many opportunist burglars will simply roam through an area, trying the doors of buildings which appear unoccupied in the hope of getting lucky, so ensuring all your doors are locked before leaving is vital.
However, to maximise the security for vacant property it is worth installing some reinforced security doors that will take much more force to break through than traditional doors.
Ideally, you should look to install security doors that come with a keyless lock with millions of unique combinations and not one with a traditional lock that could be picked by an experienced criminal.
Other features to look for in a security door include a multi-point locking system and cut proof hinges.
To ensure that your security doors are installed properly and do not have any weaknesses you should approach a speciality company to handle the process.
3. Install Alarms
Property alarms are one of the most popular and effective security measures for any commercial property.
They are particularly useful for temporary use as they can be installed without a mains connection or access to WiFi, instead alerting you to an incident via the mobile network.
This makes them perfect for use on a vacant property and will typically operate using motion detection technology.
A monitored alarm system is particularly effective as an active deterrent as if triggered your alarm will notify a local security firm who will respond accordingly, alerting the emergency services and deploying a team of security experts to the site.
4. Install CCTV
Monitored CCTV offers all the same deterrent effects as an alarm system, indicating to intruders that they are likely to be detected and identified if they attempt to target your property.
Video cameras will capture all movement that takes place on your site and transmit the footage live to you and your security staff remotely.
This will allow you to keep an eye on your site whilst it is unoccupied via any mobile device and should an incident take place will give the police more of a chance of tracking down those responsible.
5. Concrete Barriers
If you are looking to prevent vehicles from being able to access driveways or carparks whilst your property is vacant, renting concrete blocks is a highly effective option.
Fly tipping is a common offence on plots that appear unoccupied, and these barriers will prevent trucks and lorries being able to use your outdoor space for this purpose without having to fork out for an entire perimeter fence.
By renting barriers rather than buying, you won’t even have the hassle of installing and removing the concrete blocks which will simply be removed once the area is back in use.