UNOCCUPIED PROPERTY

29th April 2009

As the recession bites, more and more companies are scaling back their operations or even ceasing to trade, the volume of unoccupied property across the UK is increasing and administrators or property portfolio managers have a new security challenge: protecting unoccupied sites.  Here Caroline Demoulpied of Equinox Security provides an overview of the key factors that need to be considered.

It’s a sad but inevitable fact of any recession that the amount of unoccupied property across the UK will increase. Already we have seen a relatively large number of high profile businesses cease to trade in everything from retail to commercial property development. Many sites have been left empty across the UK and issues around property damage and squatters have resurfaced at a level not seen for decades.

Added to this is the fact that for many facilities managers, insolvency practitioners and to some extent administrators, this is new territory. The scale of the current economic decline has not been equaled for decades and this means there is a real lack of experience in the property management and security arenas with regard to the handling this type of issue.

The costs of mismanagement can be significant. Unoccupied buildings and sites are all company assets and as such it is our duty to protect them to the benefit of the liquidated company, its shareholders, creditors and neighbouring businesses or homes. 

Companies also need to consider their health and safety responsibilities:  a trespasser may have no right to be on the land but a company or its liquidators can still be liable for personal injuries if the courts decide you didn’t take adequate steps to prevent someone entering the site.

So how do we go about securing an unoccupied site or building?

To manage the site effectively a comprehensive review of potential risks must be undertaken and this must cover the less obvious risk factors. Graffiti, vandalism, fire, theft, illegal occupation and general deterioration of the fabric of the building are clear issues to take into account, as are the potential cost and time of repairs and loss of market value.

However, the impact of Insurance liability, health and safety implications and your duty of care with regard to trespassers must not be overlooked. It is essential that your security policy enables you to proactively control visitors to site, both authorised and unauthorised whether they are authorised representatives of your company, potential buyers, squatters, trespassers or even children.

For an unoccupied building site with a large perimeter, this will almost certainly mean the erection of secure fencing which is sufficiently high to prevent easy access. There is also a need to erect barriers to site entrances to prevent people from moving onto the land.   

And whether your site is an unoccupied piece of land, a retail outlet or an office complex, you will need regular inspections of the site to ensure security fencing and other security measures are still intact and a team of security officers to be situated on site at key times or even for 24 hours a day.

Your choice of security company will also affect the performance of your security. A security with no training in this area and no experience of the issues they may encounter will inhibit your ability to protect your company’s or your client’s assets.

Make sure your security team has the necessary skills required for the job and can develop a solution that is tailored to the needs of that particular site by using a wide range of security services.

These would include:-

• short notice response
• full site by site risk assessment
• on site security officer protection: multi manned and 24/7 if necessary
• mobile patrol and property inspection services: monitoring protective measures and the fabric of the building
• temporary alarm and CCTV installation and monitoring through a 24 /7 Control Centre
• response service for alarm activations and emergency call-outs
• keyholding

At Equinox our Special Project Division can provide a total all encompassing solution which via approved partners even includes the provision of fencing, boarding, signage, security doors and window grilles. This may sound like a minor consideration but, damage to site security measures will need to be rectified quickly.

In addition, any attempt by people to move onto the land should be handled promptly in conjunction with the local police force. In our experience, the police often have local knowledge of the individuals involved and with the assistance of a suitably qualified security team can help expedite a speedy and un-confrontational vacation of the site, avoiding costly legal action.

What is really important is that you get a solution that is appropriate to the company affected and each specific site which it owns. This approach will enable you to ensure your response is measured against the perceived threat and to deliver peace of mind as well as value for money. Don’t settle for anything less from your security provider.