For immediate release:

London, 18 January 2019

Managing the blight of vacant properties

The ‘Brexit effect'on the UK property market is likely to see a rise in assets lying empty for longer

Asset protection specialist VPS Security Services, warns that the ongoing Brexit saga is likely to lead to a rise in vacant properties, both commercial and residential, as property developers and investors are even more reluctant to move forward with their UK real estate strategies.

Despite a serious housing shortage, there remain over 200,000 homes in the UK that have been empty for 6 months or longer, and as commercial rentals slow down, especially in the retail sector, there is a growing movement to ‘repurpose' commercial properties into housing, even temporarily.

"Empty properties of any type can be a significant cost to the owners, local authorities and to the environment." explains Phil Bunting, a director of VPS Security. "They attract vandalism, metal thieves, arsonists and squatters far more than occupied premises. And owners have a legal duty of care for empty properties even to the extent of maintaining their safety for unauthorised trespassers."  

Across the country dozens of fires are deliberately started every day in or next to vacant premises. Illegal fly tipping occurs every 40 seconds, and grounds such as a car park surrounding an empty office block, are prime targets. With more severe wintry weather forecast, storm damage from snow and ice are also likely to take their toll far more on an empty building.

"The longer an empty property is left unattended, unprotected and neglected, the greater the risk of further devastating dilapidation, compounding the cost and timing of eventual remediation. The sooner it is secured against unwanted visitors and the elements, the sooner it will be re-let or sold to provide a home again." Mr Bunting says.

Vacant properties can be protected in a number of ways, with several security options, all of which can be combined in a flexible mix that provides a best fit solution for each site.

The most basic solution is setting up a secure perimeter fence, and installing steel screens or hoardings on all main entry points, such as windows and doors. Concrete blocks can be used to prevent access to car parking or external grounds. The environmental impact of steel screens can be lightened by using specialist decals that imitate the look of the original windows and doors.

Alarms placed in and around buildings can trigger alerts if there is an attempted breach to the premises.

Human guards may be needed for certain high-profile locations, but they are an expensive option, and the range of technological alternatives are fast moving into and taking over this more traditional guarding option.

CCTV Towers can provide many more ‘eyes' to protect a site 24/7 at a fraction of the cost of human guards. Operators at remote video response centres, can speak direct to the trespassers, which often is an effective deterrent, if the sensors are triggered and a video feed shows intruders.

Away from the technological and traditional methods of protecting vacant properties, a relatively new trend is to provide security through occupation, by installing property guardians into temporarily empty buildings. This method not only provides low-cost accommodation, but can help significantly reduce the costs of neglect or vandalism, as well as cutting business rates for the property owners.

VPS Security Services are part of the VPS Group that specialise in protecting people, property and assets, by securing, maintaining and managing properties across a wide range of customer and industry sectors. Core building services cover the vacant, unoccupied and void property lifecycle from an initial risk assessment, to security, including guarding, monitoring, clearing, maintenance and also ‘security through occupation', via their VPS property guardians service.

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Notes for editors :

About the VPS Group:

VPS Groupsecures more than 30,000 properties and employs over 1200 staff in locations across the UK and mainland Europe.

Their services protect properties against unauthorised access and a variety of hazards such as arson, theft, squatting as well as wintry hazards of storm, ice and snow damage. www.vpsgroup.com

Further details, call the press office.