ife changing so utions...allowing them to save money in the process. our progressive and ethical...
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02 Global Guardians Brand Guidelines | Copyright © 2017 Global Guardians. All rights reserved. www.global-guardians.co.uk
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Global Guardians Brand Guidelines | Copyright © 2017 Global Guardians. All rights reserved. www.global-guardians.co.uk 03
I believe in the model of Guardianship. It’s the logical and viable option for vacant property management.
It works.
- Stuart Woolgar, Founder
LIFE CHANGING SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYONE…
We expertly manage and maintain vacant properties,commercial and residential, whilst building sociableand socially committed communities that offer affordable city living for key workers oraspiring professionals.
This flexible lifestyle connects ordinary, responsiblecitizens with unique spaces that need caring for, whilstallowing them to save money in the process.
Our progressive and ethical approach saves time andmoney with end-to-end solutions for vacant propertyowners and managers.
Protect smart l Save money l Peace of mind.
Everyone wins with Global Guardians
Being responsible for one or morevacant properties can be both stressfuland time consuming, and it goes
without saying that the larger they are, themore problems they can potentially cause, nomatter if they are commercial or residential.
It’s not just the security risk they present to theowner or asset manager – everything fromsquatters, criminal damage and theft, to beinga venue for criminal or anti-social behaviour.
Leaving a building to stand empty for months,or even years, when there is such a shortage ofaffordable homes for people, especially inlarger urban conurbations, can attract negativeor unwanted attention or commentary to anorganisation, public or private, which canimpact on them in all sorts of ways. However,when it is a publicly owned property, thenegative aspects can be much higher profileand attention drawing. Also, no one likes to livenear or next to a long term empty building, forall the above reasons, so it is not just the widerpublic view to be considered, disenchanted orangry neighbours can be another issue to dealwith. Everything about empty property createswork and worry.
The Problem withEmpty Properties:
www.global-guardians.co.uk
FlytippingFlytipping is a growing menace, a scourge on our streets and countryside and empty
properties attract it. In the year to March 2017, there were 1m recorded flytipping incidents in
England – the equivalent of nearly 114 every hour, and obviously many more unrecorded. That
represents at least a 7% increase from the previous year and the fourth year in a row that
flytipping has increased. It can cost a property owner hundreds of pounds or more to have it
removed… only to find more illegal waste has replaced it as fast as it gets cleared.
All of this makes vacant buildings a biggerheadache than occupied ones, and stress is afactor in our lives that most of us wish todiminish or avoid as it seems to come fromeverywhere these days… peace of mind is amuch sought after commodity.
Roof and gutter maintenanceBlocked gutters and missing roof tiles
can lead to water incursion, damp and
serious internal damage. If it all freezes,
the problem gets compounded.
SquattersSquatting is a risk for any empty property,
even though it is illegal in residential
buildings. It can cost thousands of
pounds to go through the process of
having illegal intruders evicted and
repairing the damage they frequently
cause to the property can easily double
the final bill. There are no official
estimates of numbers but according to
homeless charity Crisis in their 2017
report1, there were just over 12,000
incidences of squatting in 2016 across
Great Britain, but this was just in non-
residential buildings so the overall
numbers can be assumed to be much
higher.
There are also the financial issues to consider.Although many Government owned buildingscarry their own insurance, plenty don’t, e.g.those belonging to local authorities or theNHS, and any sort of comprehensive insuranceis extremely difficult to obtain on an emptyproperty. Also, business rates still have to bepaid, and one way or another, the building still has to be kept secure and maintained.These are all outgoings and a drain on scarceresources, and if the property sits vacant forany length of time, they can rise exponentially.Planning for new developments cansometimes get bogged down for years if thereare objections from interested or aggravatedparties, or the property can prove difficult tosell, depending on its location and potential.
1 https://www.crisis.org.uk/media/237582/crisis_
homelessness_projections_2017.pdf
unoccupied property under a LicenceAgreement, until the property owner requiresthe building to be returned. It is important tonote property guardians occupy a premisesunder a Licence Agreement, not an AssuredShorthold Tenancy (AST), which conferscertain rights on tenants which can beimpractical for temporary occupation.
Since at present there is no law governing theuse of property guardians and their rights,unlike with an AST, there is only an industryCode of Practice to stop unscrupulousguardian companies evicting guardians from aproperty with very little notice and potentiallyrendering them homeless. This is one of thereasons why is it so important for propertyowners to use the services of a properlyaccredited and ethically responsible guardiancompany.
A property guardian pays a Licence Fee inorder to share the living space in an emptyproperty and their primary role is to protect anempty property either on their own or incooperation with other guardians sharing theliving space. The Licence Fee paid by propertyguardians is normally much lower than rentsin accommodation in the surrounding area,which is what makes it an attractive option forsome people, especially if they are on lowincomes. Because of this, the social benefitreflects positively on the building owners asproperty guardianship provides much needed,affordable accommodation for workingprofessionals looking to save on living orcommuting costs, especially in expensive citylocations. Property guardianship can enablekey workers to live near their inner-cityworkplaces and is a real contribution to theprovision of social/affordable housing.
The SolutionA solution to all the above problemsassociated with vacant buildings is to installproperty guardians in the premises throughan ethical and responsible company such asGlobal Guardians. They can turn the void intoan income generator, as opposed to a drain,for as long as is necessary. The buildingbecomes secured, the guardian companymaintains it and ensures there are adequateliving and domestic facilities there for itsguardians; business rates liability is mitigated,insurance cover can benefit, income can begenerated to offset any other financial chargesand, importantly, an otherwise vacant buildinggets turned into a low cost accommodationopportunity so the social benefit is enormous.
But who or what are Property Guardians? Putsimply, a vacant property guardian is aresponsible person who occupies an emptybuilding as a deterrent against squatting,theft, anti-social and criminal behaviour anddereliction. They are a form of house-sitter orcaretaker who temporarily lives in an
Social Responsibilityis now high up theagenda for all organisations
A life changing solution. That’s whatguardianship can be for some people. “Mygirlfriend and I have just about saved enoughmoney to put down a deposit on our own flatafter three years as property guardians. We’dnever have been able to do that if we’d beenliving in an ordinary rented property with theusual outgoings. It’s not just the rent, we didn’thave to pay utility or other bills and we savedon commuting costs as well; as we were livingso close to where we both worked, we couldcycle in. It was the best thing we’ve ever doneand we’ve never had to worry about movingaround as Global always found us somewherenew to live every time” says one of Global’sdedicated guardians. He is one of a host ofyoung people currently struggling to get onthe housing ladder in London. They havediscovered some of the very positive benefitsof being a property guardian with thecompany..
In fact Global Guardians reckoned theirguardians saved some c. £12m in theequivalent of rent over the past year. That is animmense contribution to the current lack ofaffordable housing in London and hasenabled countless people to get on theproperty ladder. Others have saved to buy andrun a car, or go travelling, or simply to fund anew business venture or hobby. Quite a fewguardians work for themselves ‘at home’ andreally appreciate the space they often have ina vacant property… especially artists orcreatives. They have room to indulge theirtalent, everything from making clothes towriting music or painting, something they saythey wouldn’t be able to afford anywhere else,paying a proper rent, or worrying aboutdisturbing neighbours or flatmates. GlobalGuardians recognises that being a propertyguardian can aid productivity for newentrepreneurs or just by adding value tosociety in general.
Global Guardians Management LtdT: 0203 818 9101E: [email protected]
www.global-guardians.co.uk
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The site was bought with vacant possession in2014 and Peabody liaised with Global Guardiansto devise and implement a strategic secur tyyplan to ensure the buildings and site wereprotected from squatting, anti-social andcriminal behaviour, arson, theft and fly-tipping,while plans were discussed to commerciallyutilise or let the properties until developmentgot underway.
Due to the size and complexity of the site, theresponsible team from Global Guardians thenmet with the London Fire Brigade and LocalAuthor ty ty to inspect and discuss the buildings
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Some 100 guarbuildings across thit. All were local profpeople and sever ferthe local c ty via GlobEnhancing Chances’ service. They to low cost accommodation and twas secured for the owners, with inbusiness rate costs also reduced.
Throughout the entire year of the occupation, there were no break-in or metal theft and the site was retorder to the owners.
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The property is immaculately presented andresides in a le fy any and quiet street in the centreof a prime location in Clapham, a much soughtafter residential area of south west London.
Since being taken over by Global GuardiansManagement in the autumn of 2015, Alver Bankhas been providing spacious, impeccably kept,low cost accommodation for 28 professionalworking people in an area where rents for
flats or houses are high due to the direct and fast access into central the City, as well as proximity to the Clapham Common open space. It rents in the area start at almost twof the licence fees paid by guardia property where their personal roo also probably larger than that in small flats orHMOs that cost so much in Claph is without the delightful communal areas theycan enjoy with other residents.
With rooms available for longer termoccupation since the owners are still decidinghow to make best use of the building, thisentire project is a very worthwhile socialendeavour enabling people to put regularsavings on one side, maybe for a mortgagedeposit or to run a car, fund a hobby or otherinterest. This of course at the same timeas ensuring the entire site is kept secure,safe and free from anti-social and criminalbehaviour that has bedevilled other large,
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This is a prime and perfect example of thenew initiative by the Housing Committee ofthe Greater London Authority to encouragebuilding owners to consider utilising theirtemporarily vacant properties in the capitalfor mor more affordable accommodation, viaproperty guardianship through a reputableorganisation, such as Global Guardians. GlobalGuardians are London’s largest vacant propertyyguardian company and have been a strong andsupportive partner in this ongoing exercise asthey believe deeply in the social element whichis a natural beneficiary of their commercialbusiness. This example is also a natural fitwith the ethos of the Salvation Army and theirendeavours to assist those less fortunate in allsections of society.
As part of their contract with the powners, Global Guardians’ maintekeep the building and grounds imthe site fits perfectly into its surrothe rooms are nicely decorated anclean and airy, many with their ow ensuite facilities. The communal ro spacious with views out over the s gar fecect for sitting in on a or weekend. The property guardia living in such nicely furbished prem ensure it is kept that way.
By having property guary guardians in si House is kept secure from anti-soc behaviour, as well as preventing thand other nuisances such as fly-tipsite. The cost of round the clock seor caretakers would otherwise be an fee o or a chaproper y y guardians, it is estimated costs of well over £100K p.a. are beinwell as reducing insurance costs a
ty businy business rates since the prorequires Council Tax on behalf of its roccupants. In addition to the savinthe property oy owners participate in share agreement with Global Guapick up the majority of the c for tho This revenue share has to date gen£100,000 for the Salvation Army ancharitable outreach. William Booth wdoubt be delighted.
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generated over £100,000 “This �evenue share has gener t d f rt rs the p p y
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