Vacant properties are not only of interest to potential investors. Graffiti sprayers, squatters, homeless people and vandals also find them exciting. Such people use recognisably unguarded properties that have been vacant for a long time primarily because of their vandalism. Some want to unabashedly pursue their supposed artistic interests. Others nest in the building in search of free accommodation. They usually do not leave without a security service or police intervention.
Many owners of vacant properties do not hire a security company to guard their property for cost reasons. However, not guarding a temporarily unoccupied property usually costs the owner many times more than a security service like Paffen would have cost. Vacant properties also represent a value. If they are not to be demolished in favour of a new building, the vacant property also deserves appropriate protection. This is guaranteed with professional vacancy surveillance by Paffen.
Temporarily vacant buildings are usually either to be refurbished, gutted or demolished. They are often sold to an investor. Until then, they often stand empty for a while. On the other hand, there are also vacancies on construction sites. The safety of unauthorised persons who wish to enter a building site must also be guaranteed. This is the responsibility of the building owner. However, the security of the construction site itself and the security of vacant buildings is the responsibility of a security service.
Theft of materials, graffiti on walls, damage caused by vandalism or unauthorised long-term stays by strangers in vacant properties cost time and money. There are also liability issues, denied insurance benefits, construction delays or reductions in the value of the property. Vacancy monitoring can be carried out using technical aids such as lighting, cameras and motion detectors. However, it can also be ensured by regular patrols by security staff and other security services.
Technical solutions alone are not enough for the Object protection and Site security of vacant buildings is usually not sufficient. If vacancy monitoring is only carried out with cameras, the following difficulties arise:
Firstly, cameras have blind spots.
Secondly, they can be switched off or destroyed.
Thirdly, many properties have too many rooms and corridors to be fully visualised using technical surveillance.
In addition, technical aids cannot distinguish whether someone authorised to enter the building has done so. If a motion detector reports that someone is in the building, an alarm is automatically triggered.
The employees of our security service are able to distinguish between people who are authorised to enter and those who are following their own interests. Even if our employees do not know the location down to the last detail, they must be able to distinguish whether an alarm should be triggered or not. When it comes to security services for vacant property surveillance, years of experience and good instincts are required. An alarm would not be necessary if the foreman had forgotten something on the construction site. It is not triggered if two electricians have to work a Sunday shift due to weather-related delays.
However, nobody is likely to be in a vacant apartment block or a villa for sale at night. An experienced security guard has a sixth sense for vacancy monitoring. He recognises when any noises do not fit into the usual soundscape. Security guards can smell smoke and solvents from spray paints and can routinely identify the source of these vapours. A security guard is the best and most cost-effective investment for guarding vacant building complexes. Our careful risk analysis determines whether additional technical aids need to be deployed for vacancy surveillance.
In addition to a vacant property, there are usually also undeveloped areas. These are located next to, in front of or behind the building to be guarded. A vacancy only exists if buildings are partially or completely unused. The open spaces next to the property are generally not categorised as vacant space and are not covered by the vacancy monitoring services. The calculation of vacant space for a property is therefore important for the commissioning of security services for the property.
If the vacancy monitoring is also to include the open spaces, technical aids are often useful. Cameras and motion detectors are just as useful as a security guard who walks the open spaces every hour with a guard dog. The guard and security service must know the size of the open spaces around the vacant building. Only then can it be ensured that the property can be completely secured.
If the open spaces and the building are easily visible from the street, it is ideal for the security personnel. It is more difficult to secure buildings with densely overgrown open spaces. If there are high walls around the property or backyard building, special security measures usually need to be introduced. The permanent presence of a security guard may be advisable here. The individual measures used to secure a property vary and are determined by the security service provider in a detailed consultation before the order is placed.
Paffen Sicherheitsdienst offers you all security services from a single source.
We would be happy to create a customised security concept for you!
