Blog > What To Do if Your Empty Property Has Been Broken Into
What To Do if Your Empty Property Has Been Broken Into
Written by Gideon ReichentalPublished: 17th November 2025Last update: 7th July 2026
Has your empty property been broken into? Experiencing a break-in at an empty property, whether a commercial unit or a residential home, is distressing. In too many cases, owners and property managers may be unaware that their premises have been targeted until the damage has already been done.
The key is to ensure you report criminal activity to the police and your insurer, and to take steps to prevent further incidents, without assuming that once a property has been broken into, it won’t happen again.
We’ve shared some advice on what to do in the immediate aftermath and why reinforcing your security is essential – because a vulnerable, vacant property that has already been targeted presents an enticing prospect to opportunistic criminals.
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Key takeaways
As soon as you discover your empty property has been broken into, you should inform the police via the 101 line. The exception is if you suspect there is any possibility that an intruder is still on site; in this case, you should call 999.
You will then need to call your insurance company with your crime number and follow their instructions carefully.
When the police have left or if they advise they are unable to attend, you will need to consider the fastest ways to secure entry points and the longer-term need to improve the security of your vacant property.
Informing the Police and Your Insurer After an Intrusion at a Vacant Property
Step one is to call the police. In most cases, you should dial 101, which is the non-emergency line. The police will log the incident and issue you with a crime reference number, which you will need to pass on to your insurer.
However, if you think a break-in is happening now or that someone could still be inside, you should not enter the building. Please call 999 and inform the dispatcher that a crime is in progress.
The next task is to contact your insurance provider. Vacant property insurers always state that you must let them know as soon as possible if there has been a claimable incident, and this can help avoid delays in processing your claim.
Insurers will commonly also impose conditions that you must meet for your cover to remain valid. For example, they might instruct you to change the locks, have broken windows boarded up, or secure a broken door within 24 hours.
How to Handle Immediate Security Issues After a Vacant Property Break-in
Once you have made the necessary calls and waited for the police to attend, where applicable, you’ll then need to assess how intruders gained access and how to secure the affected doors and windows as quickly as possible.
We’d suggest calling our security specialists, because we can recommend the rapidly deployable solutions we can put in place, including the following.
Physical Defences After a Break-in at an Empty Property
Some security services are designed to physically stop anyone without permission from getting to your property, opening a door or window, or reaching your building with a vehicle. Depending on how the intruder entered your property, you might need to consider:
Boarding up windows, fitting steel security screens, and replacing smashed glass without damaging the frames or brickwork.
Installing keyless security doors or key-operated alternatives which cannot be drilled, crowbarred or forced open.
Using concrete barrier blocks to prevent vehicular access, especially where there are paths or routes to an unsupervised entry point.
Clearway operates nationwide and offers urgent responsiveness to emergencies. If you need the property to be protected right now, we can also deploy manned guards to patrol or remain on site in the interim.
Guarding and Mobile Patrols for Void Units After an Intrusion
SIA-licensed guards can be stationed in various locations, depending on the access points to the empty property and the severity of the security risks you’re dealing with. We can:
Deploy security guards and mobile patrols to monitor the site or provide an ongoing presence until improved security measures are installed.
Organise regular property inspections, where guards will monitor for any signs of suspicious behaviour or attempted tampering before another break-in occurs.
Provide keyholding, which means a guard will attend your property when you or any other authorised person, such as an agent or contractor, wishes to gain access.
The latter is ideal for longer-term vacancies, particularly where the threat of criminal activity is high, as property owners and managers are most vulnerable when unlocking and locking doors, and when keys or entry codes may be visible.
The first 24 hours after a break-in to a vacant property are critical — acting quickly to notify police, inform your insurer and secure the entry point determines whether you have a single incident or an ongoing problem with repeat intrusions.
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Installing Alarms and Surveillance for Your Empty Property
Alarm systems and 24/7 monitoring are common conditions of coverage, but if you don’t currently have an effective security system in place, the options may include the following:
Fitting wireless vacant property alarms with video verification, which capture footage when the alarm is triggered to confirm the cause
Adding signage to warn prospective intruders that guard patrols and alarms are in operation
Dispatching solar or battery-powered CCTV surveillance units, which can cover areas of land around the property without requiring mains electricity
Perimeter intrusion detection devices, which create virtual boundary lines around the property and are activated when any human movement is detected.
Clearway’s Alarm Response Centre can monitor all types of alerts, whether from a wireless vacant property alarm, a CCTV system or a perimeter intrusion detection system.
The benefit is that, when an alarm is activated, trained responders will determine the cause and act, whether standing down a false alarm, notifying you of a live break-in, or liaising with the police to ensure they intercept the intruders before they leave the site.
All of these security services and devices can deter intruders, demonstrate that your vacant property is not an easy target for opportunistic criminals, and provide you with the peace of mind that a further break-in is unlikely, if not impossible.
For more information about responding to a break-in, you are welcome to contact us. Alternatively, you will find further details about each service mentioned here on the Clearway website.
Gideon is an experienced property specialist with almost ten years dedicated to the field of vacant property security and services. With a strong commitment to customer service and operational support, he has built extensive expertise in protecting vulnerable and unoccupied buildings through practical, risk-based security solutions.
His experience includes directly managing portfolios of more than 200 vacant properties, alongside senior management responsibility for wider portfolios exceeding 2,000 properties. This has given him a detailed understanding of the challenges involved in securing vacant assets, from preventing trespass, theft, vandalism, and arson to helping clients maintain compliance, reduce liability, and protect long-term property value.
Gideon has strong technical knowledge of the measures used to secure vacant properties, including steel security screens and doors, monitored alarm systems, CCTV, mobile response, site inspections, and temporary fire and life safety solutions. At Clearway, he supports the delivery of tailored protection strategies designed around the specific risk profile of each property, helping clients secure and manage unoccupied assets with confidence.
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