Temporary Occupation - The Key to Investment and Maintaining Values

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Posted on 16 December 2025

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Navigating the planning permission process can be a long and an uncertain journey for property owners and developers. During this period, leaving a building empty is often seen as the default, yet doing so can lead to a range of avoidable risks such as vandalism, anti-social behaviour, structural deterioration, and even squatting.

However, there are a range of strategies to temporarily occupy and secure your property, while your planning application works its way through the system.

Why Leaving Buildings Empty is Risky?

Empty buildings attract unwanted attention. In the UK, unoccupied properties are vulnerable to:

-          Vandalism and Graffiti: Windows, doors and interiors can be damaged, creating costly repairs before construction or occupation can begin.

-          Squatting or Trespassing: While laws around squatting in residential buildings have tightened, commercial properties can remain susceptible to squatters.

-          Deterioration: A lack of regular oversight can exacerbate minor maintenance issues which can in turn cause larger problems with the building.

-          Community impact: Empty properties can negatively affect local neighbourhoods by inviting antisocial behaviour or even may lower surrounding property values too.

These risks highlight the importance of having occupants in a building while waiting for planning approval.

Strategies for temporary occupation

Keeping a building occupied during the planning process can be achieved through many ways…

1.      Property Guardianship

A professional property guardian scheme provides vetted, responsible occupants who live in the building on a temporary basis. Guardians offer passive security through their presence alone, often reducing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

2.      Short-Term Leasing or Letting

You can also lease the building for a short period of time for either residential or commercial use. This provides a legal method of occupancy, covers utilities and maintains insurance compliance.

3.      Temporary office spaces

Commercial buildings can be adapted for an office in the time where planning permission has been requested but not yet approved. Even partial occupancy can help to deter trespass or vandalism.

4.      Hybrid security solutions

A combination of monitored alarms, keyholding services and routine security patrols can provide a level of protection. This is the ideal for buildings not ready for occupancy or is not safe to house residents.

Implementing Effective occupancy through compliance and quality:

Regardless of the approach, compliance and management are critical. Buildings and spaces must meet legal and safety standards, especially when it comes to residential tenants. This would include the following…

-          Health and safety checks, fire risk assessments and utility inspections must be up to date.

-          HMO licensing must be maintained where applicable.

-          Vetted occupants need verified identity, references and background checks.

These checks will help to protect the owner of the building as well and the individual who is temporarily occupying it.

Limitations of temporary occupancy…

1.      Legal and Regulatory constraints:

One restriction could be through the planning use restrictions as the temporary occupation use may not align with the original use of the property. This means that owners do not have permission to use the vacant property for other purposes.

Another regulatory restriction can be building standards as even short-term occupants must meet minimum health, safety and fire protection standards. If the building in question is particularly old, upgrading the health and safety standards to accommodate for residents can come at a large cost.

2.      Financial Limitations:

Time lags can become a financial limitation if it becomes difficult to remove tenants from the property. This can delay demolition or construction process after planning permission is granted.

It is also evident that most temporary arrangements generally provide lower returns then standard leases. However, as the main goal would be security, profit incentives in this case are not a priority.

3.      Reputational and Community risks:

Public perception can be a key limitation for temporary occupation as communities may not see guardian schemes as a genuine regeneration solution, particularly if the building is poorly maintained. It is also a huge responsibility for the owners to keep the occupants vetted or supervised, otherwise the building could potentially be subject to anti-social behaviour, therefore possibly damaging the reputation of the property.

Why does temporary occupancy make sense in this case?

There are many reasons why temporary occupancy is appropriate for spaces waiting for planning permission one being that it helps to protect your investment by keeping properties secure and well maintained.

 Another reason is that it reduces holding costs for the owners as they can offset utility, council tax and security expenses to the tenants.

Also, temporary occupancy is likely to benefit the tenants and owners, however there are also third-party externalities that are positive for other stakeholders. This refers to the positive impact on supporting the local community as it benefits the neighbourhood through occupants engaging socially or simply by deterring crime.

Finally, flexibility for the owner means that occupants can be removed or placed on short notice depending on the planning progress.

Conclusion

Empty buildings are just more than inactive assets; they are vulnerable and costly if its left unprotected. Particularly in a time where housing shortages have spiked, temporary ownership offers a practical solution to finding space for individuals or families on a short-term basis. Temporary occupancy also allows property values to remain consistent or increase, while being cost effective for owners at the same time.

What Next?

The best advice is to speak to one of the companies who deal with this on a regular basis. Companies such as, Ad Hoc Property Management, are one of the UKs leading provider of property guardian solutions. They place vetted, working professionals in vacant buildings to ensure that security while meeting all regulatory requirements meanwhile.

By combining robust compliance, quality control and a professional guardian scheme. Ad Hoc enables property owners to protect their assets while waiting for planning permission. This overall helps to turn empty buildings into secure, functional and socially beneficial spaces.

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