What the latest headlines about commercial squatting tell us about the wider risks facing properties in transition.
When The Sunday Times recently reported on the rise in commercial squatting, the headlines understandably focused on legal battles, project delays and the growing cost of removing unauthorised occupiers from vacant buildings.
It’s an important conversation, but it also raises a bigger question.
Why are so many buildings becoming vulnerable in the first place?
Because by the time you’re dealing with squatters, the problem has already started.
Leave almost any building empty for long enough and it will attract attention. Sometimes that’s a curious passer-by. More often it’s metal thieves, vandals, fly-tippers, urban explorers, or people simply looking for somewhere to shelter.
Vacant buildings are valuable assets. But during periods of transition, they can also become vulnerable ones.
Government figures show there were more than 750,000 vacant dwellings in England in 2025, with over 300,000 classed as long-term empty. While these figures relate to residential property, they illustrate the scale of vacant assets across the country at any one time. Alongside this, The Sunday Times reported that specialist enforcement firms have seen around a 30% increase in commercial squatting cases over the past 18 months, with one London development reportedly incurring around £100,000 in legal fees, enforcement costs and additional security after squatters occupied a vacant site.
For anyone responsible for protecting vacant property, these figures are a reminder that security isn’t simply about responding to incidents—it’s about managing risk before incidents happen.
People often think vacant buildings are low-risk because they’re empty. In reality, the opposite is true. Once a building falls out of daily use, it can very quickly become vulnerable. At VPS, we don’t just provide temporary security-we help our customers manage risk throughout every stage of a property’s lifecycle, protecting people, assets and projects before problems have the chance to escalate.
Sheran Guy, VPS
Every property has a transition story
An empty building doesn’t mean an empty diary. Most vacant properties are simply waiting for the next chapter.
It could be the neighbourhood pub waiting for a new landlord. A former library awaiting demolition as part of a regeneration scheme. An office block standing empty while refurbishment plans are finalised. A retail unit between tenants. A warehouse awaiting planning approval. A school, healthcare facility or public building awaiting its future use. These buildings may only be vacant temporarily, but temporary doesn’t mean low risk. In fact, the period between one use and the next is often when a property is at its most vulnerable.
By the time you’re dealing with squatters, you’ve already lost
One of the biggest misconceptions we still encounter is the assumption that an empty building is a low-risk building. The opposite is usually true. Occupied buildings have people noticing problems. Vacant ones don’t.
Once someone gains access, the consequences can escalate quickly. Legal proceedings, enforcement action, project delays, damage to the building, insurance implications, additional security measures and contractor downtime all become part of the equation. The financial cost is obvious. The disruption to redevelopment programmes, new lettings and investment timelines is often even greater. The better question isn’t:
“How do we remove squatters?” It’s: “How do we stop our building becoming a target in the first place?”
Five ways to keep properties in transition off the radar
1. Don’t advertise that a building is empty
Broken fencing. Overflowing post. Unsecured windows. No lighting. These all send exactly the same message. Nobody is watching.
Simple housekeeping, regular inspections and visible signs of management make a significant difference before any additional security measures are even introduced.
2. Layer your protection
There is no single solution. The strongest protection comes from combining physical security with intelligent risk management. Steel security screens and doors protect vulnerable access points. Monitored CCTV provides both a visible deterrent and valuable evidence. Temporary intruder detection systems alert response teams immediately. Remote monitoring and regular inspections ensure buildings remain secure throughout their vacancy. The aim isn’t simply to keep people out. It’s to make the property an unattractive target from day one.
3. Match security to the building’s journey
No two properties in transition are the same. A pub awaiting a new landlord presents different challenges to a former library awaiting demolition. An office refurbishment has different risks to a retail unit between occupiers. A listed building requires a different approach to an industrial warehouse.
Temporary security and risk management should evolve alongside the building’s journey-not remain static throughout the project.
4. Act before small problems become expensive ones
Vacancy creates opportunity.
Every day a property is left unsecured increases the likelihood of unauthorised access. Whether it’s an unlocked window, damaged fencing or a failed alarm, small issues can quickly become much larger ones if they aren’t identified early. Prevention is almost always quicker, cheaper and less disruptive than recovery.
5. Think beyond squatting
Squatting may grab the headlines, but it’s only one of many risks facing vacant property.
Today’s empty buildings can attract:
- Theft of metal, plant and fixtures
- Vandalism and graffiti
- Arson
- Fly-tipping
- Urban exploration (“urbex”), fuelled by social media
- Anti-social behaviour
- Safeguarding risks where young people gain access
- Compliance and insurance challenges where buildings are inadequately protected
Protecting vacant property isn’t simply about preventing crime.
It’s about protecting people, maintaining compliance, preserving asset value and keeping projects moving.
Temporary doesn’t mean low risk
Every vacant building has a window of vulnerability. Whether that’s two weeks between tenants or two years awaiting redevelopment, that period deserves just as much attention as the building’s occupied life. Across Europe, we see properties in transition every day. Some are awaiting planning decisions. Others are being sold. Some are preparing for refurbishment. Others are waiting for their next occupier. Each has its own challenges.
Each deserves a security and risk management strategy that reflects its journey.
Protecting every stage of the property lifecycle
At VPS, we don’t simply protect vacant buildings-we help customers manage risk throughout every stage of the property lifecycle.
As Europe’s leading temporary security and risk management specialist, we work with developers, landlords, managing agents, local authorities and property owners to protect people, properties and projects while buildings transition from one use to the next.
That might mean securing a neighbourhood pub until a new landlord takes over. Protecting an office building during refurbishment. Installing monitored CCTV and steel security screens around a redevelopment site. Supporting local authorities with safeguarding challenges. Or protecting a former public building while future plans are agreed. No two buildings are identical. Neither are the risks they face.
That’s why our approach combines physical protection, intelligent technology and expert risk management to deliver solutions tailored to every stage of a property’s journey.
Because the sooner a property is protected, the less likely it is to become tomorrow’s headline.
When your building is empty… someone else has already noticed.
Better security starts now.
Our team of security experts are on hand and ready to discuss your vacant property and asset protection needs.
Our Accreditations
VPS Group business units Nexus and VPS Site Security are approved by the SIA. Within the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) for Security Guarding, Key Holding and CCTV.
SIA approval – Nexus and VPS Site Security
