Anti-squatting service sets out its stall to landlords

Tuesday 19th June 2012

An anti-squatting service is trying to match up owners’ long-term empty properties, including those of private landlords and house sellers, and people looking for affordable accommodation in the London area.

Guardians of London offers an anti-squatting ‘guardian’ scheme for empty residential and commercial buildings throughout London.

Guardians are carefully vetted and come from key-worker sectors and the professions. They live in the buildings in shifts 24 hours a day, thus preventing vandalism and invasion by squatters, and are responsible for keeping the building tidy, clean and safe.

For some property owners, the use of guardians avoids the need for hiring expensive security companies who are not always able to patrol all parts of a building.

Also, as the guardians are paying an amount of money per week to live there, the owner is earning revenue from the empty building rather than leaving it empty, and having to board it up.

Guardians themselves benefit by securing affordable housing, often in areas in which they would never normally be able to afford to live.

http://www.guardiansoflondon.com