Property Guardians vs Security Guards: Which is Better for Vacant Property?

If you’re not careful, an empty building could be an open invitation.

There are many good reasons why a property may be standing vacant. But just because it’s not occupied doesn’t mean the property is safe. And considering your real estate is likely your most valuable investment, you certainly won’t want it exposed to crime, vandalism, and decay. 

So, your property needs to be secure while it sits idle. That’s where the question of hard security vs property guardians comes in.

Traditional security, like guards and metal shutters, seems an easy solution. But in reality, they often can’t keep up. Instead, what if your best line of defence wasn’t behind a security badge, but behind your property’s front door?

Property guardianship offers a smarter, more human-first solution that not only protects buildings but also makes empty buildings more profitable.

Property Guardians vs Security: What’s the Difference?

Security guards are hired staff who are either stationed on-site or who conduct regular patrols of your property. Quite simply, they’re there to deter unauthorised access and respond to incidents. 

The main issue with security guards is that their presence is limited — both in time and impact. 

When their shift ends, they leave the property. Their routes are predictable. And they’re expensive to maintain.

Unlike hired security, property guardians live in the property full-time. These are vetted individuals who occupy otherwise vacant buildings under short-term agreements.

Like a security guard, their consistent presence deters antisocial behaviour and crime. But property guardians don’t just secure empty spaces, they look after them. 

They’re also there to report maintenance issues, raise alerts, and establish a safer environment inside and around the property.

Both methods can protect your property, but one is passive and temporary. The other is proactive and continuous.

What is the Best Solution for Vacant Property Security?

Every year, thousands of buildings across the UK sit empty — sometimes for months, sometimes for years.

Clearly, these properties need to be secured against threats. But, which approach is best?

Security guards are generally deployed in high-risk, short-term scenarios. You’ll typically find them patrolling warehouses, construction sites, or properties with valuable assets inside. 

Even in these scenarios, the gaps between patrols or the inability to provide a 24/7 presence without astronomical costs limit how effective they are. 

Property guardians, on the other hand, offer an ideal solution for residential or mixed-use buildings, large spaces like former office blocks, or any property where constant, low-impact security is required. 

They provide round-the-clock coverage by living in the space, adapting to changes in redevelopment plans, and responding instantly to emerging issues.

Finding the best solution isn’t only about preventing security issues. It’s also about responsiveness, responsibility, and long-term value. Property guardianship delivers all three.

Cost Effectiveness

First and foremost, security is essential. But, security shouldn’t cost you more than the property is worth to protect. That’s where guardianship offers a clear advantage.

Security guards cost upwards of £300 per day for full coverage. That’s over £100,000 per year.

Even with cheaper security alternatives like CCTV, the upfront installation and ongoing monitoring costs stack up quickly. Add in the potential legal liabilities of injury on-site and the risk of vandalism during off-hours, and your security investment has a lot of vulnerable holes.

Property guardianship, on the other hand, usually carries no direct cost to property owners. 

Guardians pay a license fee to live in the space, while companies like City Guardians cover fit-out, installation, inspections, and ongoing maintenance. 

This means your property is secured and maintained for free. Plus, you get the added option to generate revenue through the guardianship model.

Risk and Reliability

Security guards are not always as trustworthy as you might think. 

The impact of a security guard depends entirely on how present and visible they are. The second they leave or take a break, your property is exposed. 

Even regular patrols leave gaps, which experienced trespassers know how to exploit.

Guardians, however, are always there. They live on-site and have a continuous presence that naturally deters criminals, vandals, or squatters.

Think about it: a boarded-up building is an open invitation for squatters. A lived-in home is not.

So, property guardianship means your security is always on and always present. It gives you a level of reliability that no paid security service can match.

Flexibility

Managing an empty property is never a straightforward process. 

Redevelopment plans change, timelines shift, and opportunities come and go. So, you need a security solution that can keep up with all this. A security solution that offers total flexibility.

A big problem with security guards is that they’re rigid. Their contracts are long, and their costs are fixed. If you need to make changes to your security plan, it will require renegotiation, downtime, and disruption.

Property guardianship is designed for this kind of changing environment. Most providers offer rolling contracts, which allow for quick onboarding, relocation, or withdrawal as your project evolves. 

Need the building back in a month? No problem. Extending the guardianship by six more? Easy.

Adaptability like this gives you total control over your property without locking you into expensive security commitments.

Security Response and Prevention

Emergencies don’t wait for the next security patrol, and hard security solutions don’t always allow for real-time alerts. 

Sure, CCTV might record the problem, but it won’t prevent it. Alarms might go off, but who’s responding?

Instead, property guardians are your first responders. 

They notice small issues before they become big problems. Things like a leaking pipe, a broken window, or an unfamiliar face are identified immediately. And when they identify these issues, they act on them. 

Property guardians are always there, and they care. They provide a level of responsiveness that’s not just reactive, but preventative. 

Guardians are engaged, connected, and trained to alert support teams the moment something feels wrong. The difference here is that your property is genuinely looked after, and not just watched.

Community Impact

Neglected buildings send the wrong message to a community. Boarded windows and steel doors often breed fear, encourage crime, and erode trust in the organisations responsible for those spaces.

Property guardians turn that narrative around.

With property guardians present, empty buildings are brought back to life. 

This restores communities. Streets feel safer, local economies benefit, and, as a real estate developer or owner, your organisation will hold more trust.

Beyond managing your property, guardians bring the benefit of actively contributing to the neighbourhood they live in.

Secure Your Property Smarter

Protecting your vacant property isn’t just a matter of cost or immediate security. It’s about securing what may well be your biggest investment, your reputation, and the well-being of the surrounding community. 

The bottom line is that traditional security guards offer a short-term fix, while property guardians provide a more flexible, cost-effective, and human-centred solution. With a constant presence, proactive maintenance, and all the risks of hard security removed, guardianship gives property owners far more peace of mind.
At City Guardians, we specialise in placing trusted individuals who care for your property as if it were their own. Not only does this take the headache out of vacant property management, but it makes protecting your property far more affordable. Get in touch to secure your property the smarter way.

What is Property Guardianship?

Right now, thousands of buildings across the UK sit empty, at risk of vandalism, break-ins, and decay. It seems a waste in a country that’s already facing a housing shortage.

But what if those same spaces could offer affordable housing and protect neighbourhoods in the process? 

That’s the idea behind property guardianship: a smarter, community-driven alternative to renting.

With savings of up to 60% compared to traditional rent, flexible living, and unique places to call home, it’s no wonder more professionals are becoming guardians. 

Curious? Let’s break down what property guardianship is and why it might be worth considering.

What is Property Guardianship?

Property guardianship is a system of protecting vacant properties, where individuals live in an idle property and act as a kind of live-in security guard and maintenance manager.

Property guardians are working professionals who live in vacant buildings to help keep them secure. In return for this responsibility, guardians get access to affordable, flexible living spaces, often in prime city locations, at a fraction of the usual rental cost.

It’s not renting, it’s not squatting, and it’s more effective (and more affordable) than hiring a security guard. 

Ultimately, property guardianship is all about protecting and giving purpose to empty buildings, while adding value to both the property owner and the guardian.

Why Do Property Guardians Exist?

In the UK, there are just under 700,000 vacant homes. These empty properties cost the economy billions. More pressing is that they leave entire communities exposed to threats.

When properties are left unoccupied, they attract squatters, invite vandalism, and often fall into disrepair. Guardians prevent these issues.

Property guardians live in these spaces, offering a visible, on-site presence that helps deter crime and keep buildings safe. In exchange, they enjoy cheaper-than-average housing in buildings full of character.

Security guards might deter crime, but that’s only one part of the challenge in owning an empty building. You also need to keep the building maintained, keep it from becoming a derelict waste of space in the community, and, ideally, prevent it from draining unnecessary money while standing empty. 

Property guardianship solves all of these problems.

The Benefits of Being a Property Guardian

Property guardianship is a win-win. It provides a constant security presence to property owners while offering major lifestyle advantages to property guardians.
Here are some of the main benefits you can enjoy as a property guardian.

Affordable Living

Let’s be real, rent is expensive, especially in cities like London. But as a property guardian, you could save between 50% to 60% compared to traditional renting. 

That’s not just spare change. That’s money for a deposit, a business idea, investments, or a much-needed holiday.

Most licence fees are inclusive of bills too, including utilities, council tax, and more. There are also no hidden fees or sneaky clauses. Just a clear, affordable way to live.

This is because, as a property guardian, you’re also providing a service. In exchange, you get enormous financial savings.

Prime Locations Without the Price Tag

Imagine living in a converted fire station in Zone 2, or a quirky school-turned-home minutes from the tube. Property guardianship puts you in the heart of it all, without the scary price tag.
By being a property guardian for City Guardians, you could access spaces across London and beyond (think Brighton, Winchester, and more). These aren’t your average listings, they’re distinctive properties that you’ll be proud to call home.

Spaces with Character

Offices, theatres, schools, pubs — we’ve turned them all into liveable, loveable spaces. 

Some are shared, some are self-contained, all are full of potential. 

As a guardian, you can expect to live in properties that come with generous communal areas (hello, home gym or art studio). We’ve seen guardians transform these spaces into everything from music rooms to skate parks.

Part of a Community

Property guardianship goes hand in hand with building communities. 

Guardians go through a vetting process that ensures everyone is reliable, responsible, and in full-time work. This means, as a guardian, you’ll be living alongside like-minded professionals, creatives, and key workers who value the opportunity just as much as you do.

In fact, many of our guardians chose City Guardians specifically for our positive, human-first reputation.

Flexibility and Lifestyle Freedom

Say goodbye to long rental contracts and landlord dramas. As a guardian, you’re on a rolling licence agreement.

This means you only need to give 28 days’ notice to leave a property. You also have the option to move between properties in a portfolio.

So, being a property guardian comes with a flexible lifestyle without the legal baggage of traditional renting.

What are a Property Guardian’s Responsibilities?

As we mentioned, property guardianship is a service, not a free ride. But don’t worry, guardians don’t have to perform rigorous security patrols or put in plumbing and electrical maintenance shifts.

Quite simply, being a guardian means keeping the property safe, reporting issues quickly, and maintaining a respectful presence. Guardians actively help to preserve an empty space by living in it.

The main duties of property guardianship include:

• Residing full-time at the property
• Reporting maintenance issues or security risks
• Respecting the rules of shared or unique living spaces
• Keeping the property in good condition

Really, that’s not much different from the responsibilities of a renter. 

Although, while you have legal protections (health and safety, fire regs, Protection from Eviction Act, etc.), guardianship is different from renting in a few key ways.

First, you pay a licence fee, not rent. You have non-exclusive possession of your space, and live on a rolling weekly licence with a 28-day notice period. Of course, you also need to open the property up for approved contractors.

Live-in Property Guardians: A Smarter Solution to Empty Real Estate

Property guardianship may help you find a far cheaper place to live, but it’s about more than just that. It’s for people who want an alternative lifestyle to expensive renting, where they can live in places with character, community and flexibility.

If you’re a working professional looking for a smarter way to live, without the high rents or long-term lock-in, this could be just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
Guardianship helps protect properties, uplifts neighbourhoods, and brings empty buildings back to life. Sounds like your next big move? Apply today.