Vacant Property Security For Your Business 3 August 2022

Managing A Vacant Commercial Property

A vacant property sometimes referred to as a void property is any building that has no tenants and no furnishings. An unoccupied property falls into a similar category; the difference is simply whether there are personal items left within.

Time and intent are other factors that can determine whether a property should be deemed void or unoccupied. If you own or manage a commercial property and you’re awaiting the arrival of new tenants, the property is classified as “unoccupied” for that period. If you’re awaiting new tenants after your old tenants have moved out, it is classified as “vacant” or “void”. In this article we’ll be considering all empty properties that fall into both categories.

What Are The Risks Associated With Vacant Properties?

From empty high street shops to disused office buildings, vacant properties need constant supervision and maintenance. Using remote CCTV monitoring, key holding and vacant property inspections, potential issues can be managed, and major problems avoided. Should any issues develop, the right level of security and monitoring will ensure that any trouble is dealt with swiftly and effectively. Common problems include:

• Arson
• Burglary and Theft
• Anti-Social Behaviour
• Illegal Activity
• Environmental Damage
• Squatting
• Vandalism
• Trespass

It’s advisable to review the security of your vacant property and decide whether you can handle the management of the property by yourself. With so many risk factors and potential hazards to health and safety, it’s recommended that you seek a professional provider of security services.

Dedicated security experts can handle problematic situations without you needing to risk your safety and wellbeing for the sake of your property. Experienced security officers are trained to deal with all types of emergencies and can be on call 24 hours a day, giving you peace of mind.

How Do You Secure A Vacant Property?

If your property has recently been vacated, you can implement a few basic strategies to help manage your property and mitigate low-level risks. It’s highly recommended you seek professional security advice and support when managing your property even on a short-term basis.

• Keep all internal and external doors closed

Shutting all the doors and windows to your vacant property will not only ensure the security of your building it’ll also mean that a fire will stay contained for longer, preventing more damage. If a fire should break out, buildings burn down faster if they have a steady supply of oxygen to fuel the flames. Closing all windows and doors is an easy way to quell potential threats to health and safety.

• Turn off all electrical appliances and keep them unplugged

Keeping electric outlets on while they’re unused will cost you money, and even worse, could cause an electrical fire if left unattended for a long time. Ensure that all electrical appliances are switched off and that all outlets are functioning normally. Unplugging computers and other devices will protect any electronics from surges or power cuts, which could potentially damage the devices.

• Dispose of your waste properly

Waste that is left unattended can become very unhygienic and unpleasant. Food waste will attract rodents which aren’t just unpleasant but also carry disease. Rats and mice tend to chew through cables, which could cause inconvenience, not to mention having to call out pest control.  

• Maintain the use of service providers such as cleaners

It’s important to maintain the cleanliness of your building to uphold good hygiene standards, especially if nobody is around to do smaller cleaning tasks regularly. Property owners should be considerate of their building’s hygiene once it has become vacant.

Take the opportunity to have a thorough clean of your property completed and ensure hygiene standards are maintained whilst the property is uninhabited. This will mean that when the new occupants takes over the property it is in pristine condition mitigating the risk of health and keeping your new tenant happy.

• Ensure that fire alarms and security alarms are in full working order

Check the functionality and review the inspection dates of your important alarm systems so you should be alerted should something happen at your property. If a fire breaks out – or somebody breaks in – an alarm will allow your vacant property security to act quickly, minimising the risk of property damage or other serious consequences. Issues can go undetected without operational alarm systems, which could be severe for your business and endanger members of the public – in turn affecting your public liability insurance.

• Manage your buildings heating and cooling system

Large buildings require a substantial amount of heating and cooling to keep occupants comfortable and mitigate the risk of environmental damage. If your property is unoccupied, it’s a good idea to lower the levels of temperature controls to save on excessive bills whilst still maintaining the condition of your property.

It’s not advisable to turn these systems off entirely unless your property is completely vacant. Turning off mains gas and water supplies can help mitigate the risk of fire or flooding. If you’ve got tenants lined up the use of heating systems should be maintained to avoid damp and other damage that can occur over time.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that gas and electrical systems are up to date with examinations and inspections. Unexamined and uncertified heating systems could void your property insurance if something goes wrong while your safety certificates are out of date.

The Benefits Of Vacant Property Security

If you think, there’s a lot to manage you should consider professional vacant property security to manage your building. Some of the main benefits include:

• Regular internal and external inspections

Checking the inside and outside of your building and raising any potential concerns will maintain your properties condition and security on a long-term basis. If you don’t have the time to check up on your property, professional security can maintain a perimeter and allow you to focus on other important tasks.

• Experienced, professional security officers

Highly trained and fully licensed security officers will be on call to manage any potential security threats to your business. Capable of handling all types of emergencies – from unwelcome intruders to health and safety concerns – they’ll have your property covered.

• 24/7 security, around the clock protection

Getting called out to your property in the middle of the night can be a nuisance. Delegate this task to a professional team that can be at your property to perform a full security evaluation the moment they are alerted.

• Monitoring of alarm systems and CCTV surveillance

A remote monitoring team can keep an eye on your property and report any activity to you as and when required. Should any suspicious activity be detected, security officers can be deployed to your premises immediately.

Why You Need Vacant Property Security

Protecting empty spaces from trespassers, environmental damage and vandalism isn’t easy, but implementing the right security measures will pay dividends. If you need a comprehensive solution to the security of your property, then you’ll be in safe hands with ESG Security.

With over 30 years’ experience of providing void property security, we’ll give you peace of mind. Don’t leave it to chance, entrust your vacant property to ESG Security let us take care of your business.