What To Ask Your Vacant Property Security Provider Before You Sign

Now that you’ve made the decision to invest in security for your vacant property, the next step is to decide which provider is right for you. Whether that’s comparing accreditations, cost, or the range of services you need, it’s important to ask the right questions before you commit to a provider.

The Questions You Should Ask Your Vacant Property Security Provider

As a general rule, we’d recommend finding out what experience your chosen provider has in securing vacant properties, as well as what their accreditations are, their mobilisation and operational processes, and how they’re able to support once your property transitions into occupancy. Here’s what we would ask.

What Experience Do You Have In Vacant Property Security?

Arguably the biggest factor in choosing any professional provider to deliver a service is understanding how they’ve successfully done that in the past. That makes sense – knowing that your security provider understands the main risks affecting vacant properties means that they’re better equipped to help you and your site navigate those challenges.

It’ll also mean they’re able to navigate some of the thornier issues that can plague properties that have been vacant for some time. That includes things like the Occupiers’ Liability Act, which has stung so many property owners in the past who haven’t implemented proper protection to mitigate that liability.

Our work with the former Royal Papworth NHS site in Cambridgeshire is a good example of how we’ve previously done that, and what you should look for from your chosen security provider. Across our tenure in securing the empty site, we stopped more than 100 trespassing attempts, as well as mitigated the risk of possible pitfalls like traveller encampments and squatting.

That’s just one example, though. We’d always advise speaking to the company in advance, or looking at their case studies to see what they’ve previously worked on and how that might translate to your circumstances.

What Qualifications Will Your Security Officers Have?

If you’re choosing a manned solution for your vacant property security, the biggest consideration is how qualified the personnel that will be carrying out the duties are. Qualifications underpin a successful service, so  you’re maintaining compliance with any governing bodies.

As a minimum, your officers should be licensed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). This is the baseline qualification that security professionals need to be recognised and legally able to work in licensed security scenarios (protecting a vacant property is one such example, but you’ll also see them at supermarkets, bars, restaurants, industrial facilities and warehousing).

This means they’ve been trained to deal appropriately with trespassers, conduct routine inspections (often a stipulation of vacant property insurance policies), keep detailed property logs, and liaise with the emergency services in the event of an issue occurring. That’s essential if your property is at an increased risk of fire, or has previously been targeted by criminals.

You should also look at the vetting and screening checks that have been conducted. This will usually be outsourced to a regulated provider (ProFM Group use the National Screening Agency, for example) and conducted in line with BS:7858, the British Standard that all security personnel should conform to.

A combination of good screening and vetting checks (including all the necessary Right to Work checks) and the right SIA licensing is an important checkbox to put on your list if you do invest in manned guarding.

We’d also clarify here that, even if your site doesn’t have the usual welfare facilities (toilets, lighting, heating, staff areas, etc.), you can still have a manned guarding package. This would be something we’d advise clarifying with your chosen provider, too – a leading provider will be able to provide a mobile officer to circumnavigate those issues.

What Technology Can You Offer For My Vacant Property?

An autonomous solution is so often in demand for vacant properties. That’s usually because power has (rightly so) been disconnected, or the infrastructure that’s needed to sustain a more permanent measure (like a wired Ethernet connection for CCTV cameras) is no longer in place. Here’s where an advanced tech solution comes to the fore.

The options for security technology in the modern market are extensive, but we’d advise focusing on temporary electronic security measures. With the better providers, there’ll be a range of options that utilise solar power and/or in-built batteries so that they can function with minimal input.

A great example of this is the VPOD, a visually-verified intruder alarm that’s fully solar-powered, communicates wirelessly via a worldwide SIM card to an Alarm Monitoring Centre, and uses photographic evidence to support in securing your vacant site. Learn more about the benefits of a VPOD for vacant property security in our full guide.

For larger-scale projects (a vacant industrial facility, for instance, or a temporary vacant retail park), solar CCTV towers offer continuous monitoring and digitally stored footage, as well as a more imposing deterrent for any potential trespassers. 

In these scenarios, we’d advise reaching out to your chosen provider to discuss what the right option is for your site, how that can fit around any challenges or obstacles you might foresee (low-light conditions, for instance), and what the experts would recommend for  full, uninterrupted site coverage.

What Accreditations & Certificates Do You Have?

Often going hand-in-hand with the expertise and track record your chosen provider has, external accreditations act as an ideal foundation to base your decision on. These will be measures that your provider works continuously to maintain, and that have tangible, demonstrable benefits for your vacant property.

Here’s what we’d advise looking at:

• Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) Membership. This is a voluntary initiative spearheaded by the SIA, where companies are externally audited across 78 different categories, ranging from financials and operational resiliency to officer licensing and competency.
  • ACS Pacesetters Scheme. An elite scheme reserved for those in the Top 15% of all ACS-approved security providers. Companies with the Pacesetters badge have been officially recognised by the ACS.
• Constructionline. An external accreditation that demonstrates a company’s proficiency, understanding and experience with the health and safety and compliance demands of the construction industry. It’s done on a sliding scale, so companies with less experience are “Constructionline Approved”, all the way to more experienced, veteran providers who often have Constructionline Gold.
• SafeContractor. The quintessential health and safety accreditation, Alcumus’ SafeContractor certifies that a company understands and can demonstrate consistent compliance with the HSE’s guidelines.
• ISO9001. An essential consideration, ISO9001 certifies a company’s quality management, as well as an expert level of customer service and regulatory compliance.
• IPSA Membership. This is the International Professional Security Association, a membership that’s committed to bringing together the best and brightest minds in the security industry.

You might also choose to look at voluntary or charitable initiatives, especially if you or your company are particularly invested in the local area, or have a vested interest in crime prevention. 

What Support Can You Offer While My Property Is Vacant?

Of course, while your chosen provider is working to keep your property secure, you’ll expect constant support. That can come in a few different forms, but the main one we’d advise asking about is their round-the-clock availability, often in the form of a central support hub (at ProFM Group, this is our National Operations Centre).

This offers you the reassurance you need, whenever you need it, alongside the guarantee that your site is always being monitored. Plus, as is the case with our National Operations Centre, your premises is overseen by SIA-licensed operatives at all times.

Alongside that 24/7 oversight, your security provider can issue digital (or printed, in some cases) incident reports and logs to maintain compliance, as well as offer evidence of your commitment to vacant property security to your insurance provider.

You should also check how your provider is able to adapt if something goes wrong, or an incident prompts a renewed focus on security at your premises. That could include upgrading to manned guarding or canine handling in extreme circumstances, or additional technology to adapt to a changing site layout or new phase of your project.

What Support Can You Provide After My Property Is Sold/Rented?

While you might not yet have a date for reoccupancy at your property, it’s reassuring to know that the security provider you partner with can still offer services after you’ve managed to sell or rent out your premises. That’s particularly important for commercial properties, which will often have complex security and compliance requirements.

Take a vacant retail premises as a great example. Once it’s reoccupied, routine visits and compliance checks won’t be as necessary, but an updated CCTV system or temporary manned guarding services during busy periods may be a consideration. Equally, a vacant industrial property could require gatehouse support or mobile security patrols once it’s reoccupied. 

It might also be that your security provider can offer insights and guidance on maintaining that level of protection for your newly renovated property. If you’re based in an area that struggles with its crime rates, this can be invaluable, especially as they may be able to forecast potential issues and implement plans that mitigate those risks.

Outside of that, we’d also advise looking at a provider who’s able to reassess the risks you face as your property moves into that next phase, whether that’s temporary or permanent occupation, a new phase of its construction works, or a change of plans entirely. This can also help you renegotiate any insurances you have in place, and better document the changes to your liability landscape.

A Complete Vacant Property Package From ProFM Group

As a trusted provider of vacant property security solutions for over 30 years, our track record at ProFM Group often speaks for itself. From major-scale contracts with retired NHS sites to under-the-radar protection for rural and urban properties that have yet to see their new lease of life, our suite of services is designed to adapt to the changing tides of empty properties.

We’re arguably best known for our expert security professionals, and that’s an area where we particularly excel in our work with vacant properties. Adaptive to both large-scale premises and single-storey buildings, our officers are equipped to deal with the unique challenges posed by empty properties, and can be stationed in a vehicle for sites with limited infrastructure pr unsafe conditions.

That’s supplemented by one of the sector’s largest catalogues of technology options. From our VPOD – a visually-verified intruder alarm system designed to support both deterring intruders and reporting any trespassing with photographic evidence – to solar-powered CCTV towers that function fully independently, we’ve built a range of options that are designed with vacant properties in mind.

All of our options, both manned and tech-focused, are built on a firm foundation. Our unbeaten scores in the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) audit see us consistently lead the field in professional security, while our commitment to voluntary initiatives like the IPSA and the ACS’s Pacesetters scheme underscores a desire to be the very best.

Those accreditations come alongside more practicable options, too – essential if you’ve got questions around liability mitigation and insurance. We’re Constructionline Gold-accredited, alongside our library of ISO and SafeContractor accreditations that are designed to back you in all you do.

If you’d like to book a free, no-pressure site assessment and understand exactly what sets us apart from our competitors when it comes to securing the UK’s vacant property, get in touch with our expert team today on 0808 164 9157.