Leaving your house and property unattended while you are away for a period of time is like playing Russian roulette: it is highly risky and you are battling the odds with one hand tied behind your back. There are several solutions to securing your assets but landlords, unaware of alternatives, often tend to traditional methods such as purchasing unoccupied home insurance.

Unoccupied home insurance is devised to safeguard assets when property owners are away from their property for more than 30 days. However, the effectiveness of the insurance is often undermined by its high cost and hidden dangers. For example, in cases of vandalism or theft, contracts are no longer legally binding if owners forgot to activate burglar alarms. Also, these insurance policies do not secure properties against squatters and do not include regular maintenance such as checking water and electricity systems.

In recent years, the number of crimes associated with empty households has risen dramatically. Many landlords have suffered from cases of vandalism, squatting, fraudulent tenants and other anti-social behaviours. These problems have caused landowners to lose thousands of pounds in repairing or safeguarding their possessions.

These unnecessary expenses can be avoided by choosing Ad Hoc’s Guardianship Model. Instead of letting your house to a tenant in the traditional way, place your assets in the hands of a professional and responsible individual who will look after your property while you are away. Owners will be able to secure their assets without having to empty their wallets, while also enjoying the quality service of Ad Hoc’s trusted live-in House Guardians.

This alternate option of guardianship can be up to 80% cheaper than conventional methods of security; the only costs for the landowner being a small fee and monthly utilities. What has traditionally been seen as a tedious and costly burden for landlords could now become a positive, financially sound way of ensuring the security of properties.

Next time you decide to travel abroad or leave your property, instead of leaping for unoccupied home insurance, take the safer, more affordable and effective measure by letting your house to a House Guardian, who will ensure that assets are secured and any maintenance issue will be reported and resolved.