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Protecting Your Property is Essential<\/strong>
Vacant commercial properties are prime targets for vandalism, theft, and squatting. Implementing robust security measures\u2014such as vacant property alarms, steel doors, CCTV surveillance, and regular patrols\u2014can prevent criminal entry and reduce liability risks.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Insurance & Legal Obligations Require Attention<\/strong>
When a property becomes unoccupied, landlords must notify insurers, update their policies, and arrange inspections to maintain coverage. Additionally, failing to secure the property could result in legal liabilities if trespassers are injured on-site.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
Managing Costs & Compliance is Crucial<\/strong>
Empty business properties may still be liable for business rates after a three-month exemption period. Landlords should explore relief options, consider alternative uses like storage, and stay on top of maintenance to prevent costly repairs and compliance issues.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\nInsurance for a Vacant Commercial Site<\/h2>\n
Normally, your lease agreement would require the tenant to manage financial liabilities associated with maintenance tasks, but most landlords will hold basic building insurance.<\/p>\n
When a property becomes vacant, you may need to;<\/p>\n
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- Purchase a more comprehensive insurance policy.<\/li>\n
- Notify your insurer that the site is empty (and an estimated timeframe).<\/li>\n
- Schedule regular inspections to pick up on essential repairs.<\/li>\n
- Contact your mortgage provider where applicable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Empty buildings are common targets for vandals and squatters, so while you may believe that your property doesn’t require robust protection due to the absence of contents, in truth it is the opposite.<\/p>\n
Some mortgage lenders and insurers have specific exclusions that apply during a void period. You should ensure your property benefits from vacant property alarms<\/a> and, ideally, regular patrols<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Providing evidence of upgraded security protocols may enable you to negotiate a lower insurance premium or avoid purchasing an additional policy.<\/p>\n
![\"Clearway](\"https:\/\/www.clearway.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/property-inspections-clearway-scaled.jpg\")
\nRisk Managing Unoccupied Business Premises<\/h2>\n
Risk assessments play an important part in property management, particularly if you don’t know how long the building is likely to remain empty.<\/p>\n
A professional risk assessment ensures you don’t overlook any major gaps, covering areas such as:<\/p>\n
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- Ensuring alarms are functional and appropriate.<\/li>\n
- Clearing waste or unwanted items.<\/li>\n
- Arranging periodic inspections.<\/li>\n
- Contacting insurance providers.<\/li>\n
- Managing maintenance tasks.<\/li>\n
- Removing valuable items.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some of the actions identified through a risk assessment may seem obvious but can make a real difference.<\/p>\n
For example, any buildup of unopened junk mail (or where the previous tenant hasn’t updated their address) signals immediately to potential criminals that the site is empty and unsupervised.<\/p>\n
Even where there are no high-value items, criminals may target your property for asset stripping, focusing on things like generators, copper wiring, radiators and electrical piping – all of which will cost a great deal to repair or replace and create unwanted hassle and stress for the owner.<\/p>\n
Updating Your Business Rates When a Commercial Property is Empty<\/h2>\n
The next step is to ensure you have contacted your local council or taken action to avoid becoming liable for empty building rates.<\/p>\n
Once a site has been empty for three months, you may need to pay full business rates, regardless of whether your tenant usually covers this cost.<\/p>\n
There are exemptions, and empty property relief might apply for:<\/p>\n
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- Industrial units, such as warehouses, which have an additional three-month exemption.<\/li>\n
- Listed buildings and those rated at under a \u00a32,900 in value.<\/li>\n
- Properties that charities and amateur sports clubs own.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Another solution could be to let out the property for another use, such as storage, which means you avoid empty property rates. However, the rental income would normally be less than you charge for full occupancy.<\/p>\n
Protecting Empty Commercial Units from Criminal Entry<\/h2>\n
As mentioned, empty business sites are a prime target for criminals, including squatters. Illegal trespass can be a huge problem, but has become more common as UK laws have changed to make squatting illegal in residential buildings.<\/p>\n
It isn’t as easy as telling a trespasser to leave, since the owner will need to take legal action to evict the unauthorised tenants<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The best way to avoid this issue is to take preventative steps, such as:<\/p>\n
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- Vacant property alarms<\/a> or CCTV surveillance<\/a> to raise the alarm if an intrusion is attempted.<\/li>\n
- Installing steel doors<\/a> or screens<\/a> over all windows and entryways.<\/li>\n
- Scheduling patrols (preferably K9 patrols<\/a>) to prevent anybody from trespassing past your perimeter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you end up with squatters, we recommend you get in touch immediately; the Clearway Eviction Services<\/a> team has years of experience managing even the most challenging situations. We provide enforcement agents, rapid responses, police liaison and clearance, plus advice to ensure your property is protected from potential further incidents.<\/p>\n
Note that liability can be an important factor; if a trespasser gets injured and you have not taken satisfactory action to prevent them from entering your property, you could be considered legally liable.<\/p>\n
Other Considerations in Vacant Commercial Property Management<\/h2>\n
So many of the simple steps we can take to defend an empty property are easily forgotten, so we’ve summarised some of the actions we recommend to every vacant property client:<\/p>\n
General Property Security<\/h3>\n
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- Seal your letterboxes, set up a redirect, or contact your postal service provider to prevent junk mail from being delivered.<\/li>\n
- Hire a contractor to clear all waste<\/a> (especially food!). Remember that decay can attract insects and infestations, which can be highly costly to remove.<\/li>\n
- Ensure there is adequate signage, especially if you have live 24\/7 CCTV monitoring<\/a>, and if there are any trip hazards on the surrounding grounds.<\/li>\n
- Review the insurance requirements, and notify them when you have scheduled guarding patrols and regular inspections<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Check that your alarm systems are fully functional with a backup power source – temporary vacant property alarms<\/a> are an ideal solution as they are wireless and operate on professional-grade batteries.<\/li>\n
- Decide whether to leave your electricity, gas and water connections running or request a disconnection where necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ongoing Maintenance<\/h3>\n
- Ensure there is adequate signage, especially if you have live 24\/7 CCTV monitoring<\/a>, and if there are any trip hazards on the surrounding grounds.<\/li>\n
- Installing steel doors<\/a> or screens<\/a> over all windows and entryways.<\/li>\n
- Vacant property alarms<\/a> or CCTV surveillance<\/a> to raise the alarm if an intrusion is attempted.<\/li>\n
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