When high-crime areas suffer from dips in the economy, they’re often hit hard. That leads to plenty of vacant buildings languishing, often at the mercy of the residents in those neighborhoods. It’s not an ideal situation, and unfortunately for owners of those properties, vacancies are typically seen as easy targets for crime. When an area is hit by economic turmoil, more people may be losing their livelihoods and in turn, their homes, so they may be looking for a spot to post up in that’s been abandoned. As the owner, it’s in your best interest to keep buildings as safe and un-touched as possible while you look for a new owner or wait for the economy to bounce back.
Buildings need to be protected, and that means doing more than just keeping up with the overgrown lawn. Make sure that utilities are turned off if no one is living or working in the property, especially if the property is located in an area with harsh winters. Frozen pipes can burst and create a world of damage within a building, not to mention being costly to repair. Doors and windows should be kept locked, as well, since in cities where squatting isn’t illegal on its own, breaking and entering is still against the law. Don’t give would-be squatters an even easier time.
Another way to protect your properties is to install security for the doors and windows. Products such as metal window guards and door guards are highly effective in keeping trespassers out of your buildings. When people break into vacant buildings, there’s a higher likelihood, especially in high-crime areas, that there will be a great amount of vandalism and theft. You don’t want to have to worry about replacing all of the copper wiring within a building or trying to replace walls after people have destroyed the interior of a building, so it’s best to just ward off potential criminals before they have the chance to cause you trouble.
