Empty properties can become vulnerable to antisocial behaviour, vandalism and unauthorised access, creating concern for local residents. Neighbourhood Watch is working in partnership with Ad Hoc Property Management to help members raise concerns about vacant buildings in their area.
With more than 35 years’ experience protecting and managing properties, Ad Hoc helps keep buildings secure, occupied, and well maintained. One of the ways Ad Hoc achieves this is through Property Guardianship, where carefully vetted individuals live or work in vacant buildings under temporary agreements. This helps keep properties occupied, secure and in active use.
In practice, this can mean turning empty buildings into useful, managed spaces. During COVID-19, Ad Hoc helped accommodate nurses who had arrived in the country to support the NHS at a time of huge pressure. Fifty nurses stayed in the property for their first six weeks after arrival, giving them a safe and practical place to live while they settled in and began their work, with their accommodation paid for by the NHS. This was repeated across three rounds, meaning around 150 healthcare workers were accommodated in total.
For the past nine years, Ad Hoc has worked in partnership with Barnet Homes, a large housing association in London, supporting a major regeneration project by keeping empty flats occupied, managed and secure until demolition. Across the partnership, Ad Hoc has managed around 600 flats, helping to reduce the risks associated with vacant buildings and upkeeping the vibrancy of the neighbourhood. The partnership has also created affordable, flexible accommodation for many Guardians, making positive use of homes that would otherwise have stood empty during the regeneration process.
Where guardianship is not suitable, or where additional protection is required, Ad Hoc also provides a range of professional security services.
If you notice an empty or concerning property in your neighbourhood, you can complete a short form on the Neighbourhood Watch website. Ad Hoc will review the information provided and, where appropriate, contact the property owner to discuss options for protecting and managing the building.
By working together to identify vacant properties early, Neighbourhood Watch and Ad Hoc hope to help keep buildings secure, well managed and positively connected to the communities around them