Vacant Property Security in Orlando: An Empty Building Needs a Plan, Not Just a Padlock

A vacant building in Orlando needs a written plan, not just a padlock. Once the last tenant, crew, or employee leaves, nobody is around to notice a pried door, a broken window, or someone sleeping in the back room. The basics are simple: lock or board every opening, clear out anything that burns, keep the fire protection systems working, and have someone check the property on a set schedule, with proof that each check happened.

Why is an empty building a bigger risk than an occupied one?

An occupied building watches itself. Staff open the doors, walk the halls, and notice when something is wrong. An empty one doesn't, and the people who look for empty buildings know it.

The U.S. Fire Administration, part of FEMA, puts it plainly in its guidance on vacant and abandoned buildings: "Unsecured vacant or abandoned buildings are intrinsically more dangerous than occupied structures." It also notes that "these structures attract illicit activity, such as drug use, vandals and prostitution."

Fire is the risk owners tend to underestimate. USFA's national data covers residential buildings, so it isn't a perfect match for an empty Orlando warehouse or storefront, but the pattern is hard to ignore:

• In USFA's study of vacant residential building fires from 2013 to 2015, "At 34 percent, intentional actions were the leading cause of vacant residential building fires."
• The same report found that "Of vacant residential building fires, 53 percent spread to involve the entire building."
• Looking at intentionally set residential fires, a separate USFA report found that "Forty-one percent of the intentionally set fires occurred in vacant buildings."

What does securing a vacant property actually involve?

NFPA, the National Fire Protection Association, summarizes the vacant building requirements in its fire code under three ideas. Here they are in NFPA's words:

• Limit fuel load: "Vacant buildings are required to be clear of all combustible storage, waste, refuse, and vegetation."
• Restrict access: "Vacant buildings should be locked, barricaded, or secured in some other way from unauthorized people entering."
• Maintain fire protection systems: "All fire protection systems must be maintained in vacant buildings, unless otherwise approved by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ)."

NFPA adds that the AHJ, meaning the local fire official, "has the authority to require an inspection and test of any fire protection system or fire alarm system that has been out of service for 30 days before it is restored back into service." What applies to your building is up to that local official, so ask them before you shut anything off.

If your alarm or sprinkler system does go down while the building is empty, that's a different problem with its own steps. Our post on what a fire watch is and when you need one covers it, and our Fire Watch service explains how we staff one.

Is locking it up enough?

Locks are where a plan starts, not where it ends. A lock that's been cut or a board that's been pulled off doesn't help if nobody finds out for two weeks. USFA's guidance makes the point directly: "Once secured, the building must be patrolled with some frequency to make sure it remains secure."

USFA's own numbers show why. In its 2013 to 2015 vacant residential fire data, "46 percent of the buildings were reported as vacant and unsecured, and another 36 percent were reported as vacant and secured." A secured building can still burn, which is why the checks matter as much as the locks.

What should a patrol check on a vacant building?

This is where a mobile patrol fits. Mobile patrol fits "lots, warehouses, vacant buildings, after-hours commercial parks, and residential properties that need regular checks rather than an officer at a desk all night." Our officers follow a tour list and handle "Lock, gate, and exterior condition checks as written for the site," along with "Incident notes when something is found during a tour."

For a vacant property, the written checks usually cover:

• Every exterior door, roll-up door, and gate, tested and not just looked at.
• Windows and boarded openings, for anything pried, broken, or missing.
• Signs of someone inside or camping on the property.
• Dumped debris, piled trash, or anything that could burn against the building.
• Fencing, lighting, and signage.
• Anything else the owner names, such as a meter, a roof hatch, or a leak that shows from outside.

Before the first visit, write down who gets called when something is found, and when to involve public safety. The same idea is behind our post on writing post orders before hiring guard services.

How do you know the property was actually checked?

Ask any security company this before you sign. At Angels Protective Services, "Officers carry personal GPS devices to confirm officer vigilance, time, and location," and "Officers and patrol cars are equipped with cameras to record patrol activity." Tour records show which stops were completed. Our How We Work page explains how those pieces fit together.

Be clear about what a patrol is, too. As our Mobile Patrol page says, "A patrol visit is not the same as a posted officer. Frequency is the schedule in the agreement, not an implied always-on-site presence."

When does a vacant property need more than a patrol?

A patrol is built for regular checks. Some situations call for more:

• A recorded view between visits. We use "totally self-contained solar-powered transmitting cameras for site monitoring and surveillance," which suits a lot, yard, or perimeter with no reliable power. See our Surveillance service.
• Someone on site the whole time. If contractors, deliveries, or a high-value phase of work are coming and going, a posted officer from our security guard service may fit better. Our post comparing mobile patrol and security guards walks through that choice.
• A fire system that's out of service. That points to a fire watch, set up according to what your fire official requires.

How do you get started on vacant property security in Orlando?

Walk the property once with fresh eyes, as if you were looking for a way in. List every opening, note anything that could burn, and confirm the alarm and sprinkler status. Then decide how often someone should check it and what they should look at each time.

Angels Protective Services is headquartered in Altamonte Springs and primarily serves Orlando and Central Florida; sites elsewhere in Florida are scheduled by site and staffing. Request a consultation and tell us about the building, how long it will sit empty, and what's already gone wrong.