The rise of urbex – from vacant building to viral destination

It can start with a single video, someone slipping through a broken fence, entering an eerie, torchlit abandoned hallway and streaming live to thousands of captivated viewers.

Urban exploring is no longer just a trespass issue. It’s now a digital risk, a reputational risk and a liability risk for property owners.

Vacant properties have always been a cause for curiosity, but social media is generating more interest and creating more of a threat.  

A single post can strip away the illusion of a secure building and give rise to more unwanted visitors. Digital geotags transform unoccupied sites into trends overnight as creators share access points and vulnerabilities with an eager audience. This enables motivated trespassers to arrive with prior knowledge of site layouts and security arrangements.

Buildings that once might have attracted only a few local teenagers, whether temporarily closed for the holidays or permanently unoccupied, can now face waves of trespassing creators, copycats and potential vandals.

The consequences do not end when the video does.

Beyond basic trespassing, breached properties are likely to suffer physical destruction, theft and potentially arson. But property owners also face severe liability risks. Serious injuries and fatalities can occur from falls, structural collapse, asbestos exposure and other site hazards.

This can result in litigation under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1984, which can place duties on owners if they are aware of hazards and can reasonably foresee trespass, despite the intruder’s legal standing.

A serious injury may also cause regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage and insurance implications, in addition to direct losses.

Robust perimeter protection, access control, CCTV, monitoring and rapid response arrangements remain fundamental. But relying solely on physical protection doesn’t go far enough to protect against dynamic, digitally driven threats. It does not remove the incentive to explore; at best, it buys time. To protect vulnerable assets in a hyper-connected environment, property owners must move from passive resistance to proactive defence.

While the peak summer holiday period is nearing its end, the risk of trespassing remains elevated. According to Vacant Property Services (VPS), incidents increase significantly during school holidays, particularly between mid-July and early September, meaning property owners need to stay vigilant beyond the bank holiday weekend. 

This period should be treated as an elevated-risk window requiring enhanced monitoring and security review. 

Property owners should consider:

• Notify insurers as soon as a property becomes vacant.
• Carry out regular vacancy-specific risk assessments. This may be an insurer requirement if the property is vacant. 
• Identify and remediate hazards such as fragile roofs, open voids, asbestos and exposed services.
• Review perimeter integrity and access points regularly.
• Monitor social media and urban exploration activity linked to the site.
• Plan escalation procedures for sites gaining online attention.
• Align security arrangements with insurer requirements.
• Enhance vigilance during school holidays and other peak-risk periods.
• Collaborate with local authorities, police and community stakeholders where appropriate. 

In the age of social media, vacant buildings are no longer hidden simply because they are empty. Property owners need to manage them as visible, searchable and shareable assets, with risks that can escalate quickly once they gain online attention.