How Technology Is Making Vacant Buildings Easier to Find

The days of squatters simply stumbling across an empty building are over.

Years ago, identifying an empty building required local knowledge, luck or simply walking the streets looking for obvious signs of vacancy. Today, the information is often available online before anyone has even stepped foot outside.

Property listings, planning applications, business rates data, satellite imagery and social media all provide valuable clues about which buildings are vacant, undergoing redevelopment or changing ownership.

For property owners, asset managers and developers, that creates a challenge that many have yet to recognise.

Most organisations are happy to advertise when a building is for sale or available to let. Estate agents publish photographs, floorplans and locations online. Planning applications reveal redevelopment proposals months before work begins. Local authority portals can indicate when buildings are changing use, while auction catalogues and commercial property websites often showcase vacant assets in detail.

None of this information is confidential and it exists for entirely legitimate reasons. However, when multiple sources are combined, they can create a detailed picture of which buildings are likely to be sitting empty.

Vacant buildings are attractive because they often present reduced resistance. Where there is no regular occupation, fewer inspections and limited site activity, the perception is that access will be easier.

The most effective approach is to plan for vacancy before it happens. This might include:

• Conducting a vacant property risk assessment

• Installing appropriate physical security

• Regular inspections

• Monitored CCTV where appropriate

• Property guardians for suitable buildings

• Mobile patrols

• Clear reporting procedures

Every building is different, and the right solution depends on the asset, its location and its future use.

Technology itself is not the problem. Public access to information has made the property market more transparent and efficient for buyers, developers and investors.

Ambika Security has been securing vacant buildings for more than 35 years, helping property owners, developers, local authorities and asset managers protect their buildings through every stage of vacancy.

Get in touch to discuss the right security solution before your building becomes someone else's opportunity.