UK Property Guardians Grow as Renters Save 30%-50% in Vacant Buildings
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 30
UK Property Guardians Grow as Renters Save 30%-50% in Vacant Buildings
2 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 30
Summary
10,000-15,000 people in the UK were estimated to be property guardians last year, with trade body PGPA saying applications are rising sharply as rents and living costs climb.
30%-50% lower housing costs are the main draw: London guardian Katrina Woolley pays £580 a month including bills and council tax—about £400 below the city average—while a Brixton couple say they save roughly £1,000 monthly.
Vacant care homes, schools, pubs and banks are used to deter squatters, vandalism and disrepair, but guardians live under licences rather than tenancies and can face eviction on 28 days' notice.
Those trade-offs can include poor conditions and instability—Woolley cited leaks, mushrooms on walls and falling stonework, and her former care home is due to be converted into flats.
PGPA says guardianship could make use of more than 1 million empty homes and large unused commercial space, while Shelter argues its growth shows people are being pushed into insecure housing.