Maintaining the security of your business premises is a perpetual challenge, particularly when buildings are left unattended for extended periods. With the rise of hybrid working and economic shifts impacting occupancy, ensuring the safety of vacant commercial properties has become a crucial aspect of risk management. Whether due to staff working remotely, temporary closures, or premises awaiting new tenants, vacating your site, even temporarily, could leave company property and valuable assets exposed. Keep reading as we cover the 5 things businesses should consider in regards to vacant property protection.
Modern working practices and fluctuations in the commercial property market present new security challenges for businesses. Vacant property protection is paramount, making a regular review of your overall business security strategy essential.
Opportunistic thieves actively look to exploit premises that appear empty or poorly monitored. Small businesses with minimal security measures are historically their prime targets. This risk is heightened when premises appear inactive, making them easier to scope out without drawing suspicion, as seen in the account of Jonathan Woods.
Mr Woods usually commutes to an office in Yorkshire, which hosts a number of small businesses. While his colleagues were transitioning to flexible working, Jonathan recalled an incident:
“The doorbell of the office rang and when I opened the door there were two workmen standing there,” recounted Jonathan. “They claimed that they were there to check the roof for a leak but were unable to give me any details of who had sent them.”
“It was clear to me that they were scoping out the building to see if it was unoccupied. I suspect their next plan was to break in and remove equipment. With so many people moving around computers etc, I doubt they would have been questioned out on the street.”
“It’s hugely important that businesses anticipate and prepare for these new threats as best as they can to secure empty property, Because sadly there are many criminals out there looking to take advantage of this situation.”
Even as the immediate pandemic crisis has receded, the vulnerabilities of vacant office space, retail, and commercial premises remain highly relevant, especially with flexible working models and economic shifts. The threat from opportunistic crime has evolved, moving beyond simple theft to more complex forms of illegal occupation and targeted malicious damage. According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data for the last year, the increase in theft offences continues to be a concern for commercial property owners, with a significant rise in overall theft incidents. This highlights the ongoing critical need for businesses to have robust, modern security measures in place. To effectively deter criminals, integrating technologies such as monitored intruder alarms with proactive measures like mobile patrols can prevent an incident from escalating.
Changes in business circumstances, whether planned or unexpected, can significantly affect the validity of your commercial insurance policy. For those now leaving their business property empty for any extended period, it’s hugely important to check that they are still covered by their existing policy.
In some cases, a revised empty property insurance policy may be required. Other business owners meanwhile may need to show evidence that the property is being inspected on a regular basis. This is to compensate for a lack of physical presence at their site during regular working hours.
In the modern commercial landscape, the rules around insuring unoccupied properties are even stricter and must be closely adhered to. Most standard commercial insurance policies drastically restrict or entirely cease cover after a property has been vacant for a period, typically 30 to 60 days. Specialist unoccupied commercial property insurance, or “FLEA” cover (Fire, Lightning, Explosion, Aircraft), is usually required for longer periods. Crucially, insurers nearly always mandate proactive security and maintenance measures to keep the policy valid, as detailed by leading commercial insurance guides.
Common requirements include:
Failure to comply with these explicit warranties can result in a claim being invalidated, meaning business owners could be left to cover the substantial cost of damage or loss themselves. Property owners should consult their broker and consider having a professional security provider manage the required connected managed services, ensuring all insurance conditions are met without fail.
Our security advisors can provide expert guidance on how to safeguard a vacant commercial property. Contact the BusinessWatch team today.
Cases of illegal occupation, arson, and vandalism pose a constant threat to vacant premises. These incidents are often enabled by stretched police resources and the decrease in the physical presence at business premises up and down the country.
The issue of illegal occupation and the welfare of vulnerable people is a complex one. The threat remains that vacant business properties may be targeted by those seeking refuge. In addition to this problem, arsonists and vandals are likely to find that they have more opportunity to attack properties which have been vacated.
It’s therefore more important than ever to review the security measures you currently have in place for your business. As part of this review, you should assess the frailties that could be exploited by opportunistic criminals.
The danger of malicious damage and arson remains significant for unoccupied properties, particularly in vulnerable waste management sites or large, open factory buildings. While the most recent data on non-residential fires shows a general downward trend in overall fire incidents, this should not breed complacency. Building fires still accounted for 38,144 incidents in that period, and the cost of damage from a single arson attack can be devastating.
Furthermore, one of the most critical and rising threats for businesses is false alarms, with fire false alarms due to apparatus reaching an all-time high of 179,735 incidents in the year ending December 2024. This increase underscores the vital importance of professional, regular fire alarm servicing and maintenance to ensure systems are operational and compliant without causing costly disruptions to Fire and Rescue Services (FRS).
If you currently have security guarding in place at your premises, you should consider if additional patrols are needed. Buildings left unoccupied for lengthy amounts of time require consistent vigilance.
By increasing the frequency of inspections at variable times of the day, you can deter criminals who are active in the area.
A mobile patrol security team can act as a very visible deterrent, as they make use of marked vans and uniformed guards.
For high-risk properties or those with complex perimeters, such as logistics hubs or isolated utility sites, a strategic approach combining physical patrols and technology offers the greatest security. Patrols should not be predictable. Varying the timing and route of inspections is key to thwarting surveillance and planning by organised intruders. Furthermore, the role of security teams extends beyond simple patrols; they are often the first responder to activations from remote intruder alarm monitoring systems and are responsible for logging all visits, which is essential for insurance compliance as previously noted. For business continuity, understanding how to build a security-first culture in your workplace is essential for ensuring that staff adhere to vacant property procedures even after normal operations resume.
Thieves and vandals may usually have a narrow window in which to attack your business whilst it is empty. However, if your property is now vacant throughout the working week, their activity can go unnoticed for longer periods of time.
Not only does this mean that the criminals have more time to carry out their crimes, they are much less likely to be brought to justice.
Many businesses use CCTV monitoring services to tackle this threat. Monitoring teams can watch vacant properties 24/7 and respond rapidly, in the event of an intruder breaking in.
The speed of response is the single most critical factor in preventing loss and damage. While an unmonitored system only provides a recording after the fact, a proactive remote monitoring service ensures that human security experts are alerted the moment an intrusion is detected via video analytics. This allows for immediate action, such as issuing an audio warning to deter the criminal in real-time or dispatching a keyholder or security patrol to verify the threat. This immediate intervention significantly increases the chance of apprehension and is far more effective than relying on standard police response times, which can be significantly slower for non-verified alarms. For businesses considering their security investments, comparing security package offerings can help them determine what you get at different price points and ensure they are selecting a package that includes 24/7 remote monitoring.
Furthermore, the long-term effectiveness of any security system hinges on its maintenance and compliance with current standards. Businesses should regularly check their system certifications and understand security system certification and what insurers look for, ensuring that the equipment is functioning correctly and is accredited to the level required by their insurance policy. With crime trends showing shifts, the ability of remote monitoring teams to handle both security and fire alerts offers a unified, cost-effective solution for property owners.
BusinessWatch are a NSI approved provider of security and fire safety services for businesses across the UK. Our knowledgeable team also offer free advice for organisations looking to bolster their safety and security measures.
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Our friendly advisors can offer a no-obligation review of your business security. Contact the BusinessWatch team today.
