How we select our Guardians

Property Guardians play an important role in protecting and preserving otherwise vulnerable, vacant buildings. Live-in Guardians help to secure vacant property throughout London and Manchester by matching suitable properties with hand-picked property Guardians, to live in the building and provide protection via occupation. Guardians are more than just tenants, they help to keep empty commercial properties like pubs and offices well maintained and safe from intruders, so it is important for us to ensure every property Guardian we select is dependable and reliable. Here are some insights into how we select our Guardians:

What are the requirements to be a Guardian?

Before we arrange a viewing at our properties, a prospective Guardian must be in full-time employment. This means a permanent contract with a guaranteed number of hours, so if you are agency employed or on a zero-hours contract and your contract doesn’t stipulate a guaranteed minimum number of hours, you will need a guarantor. If you are self-employed, we will ask to see two years of tax returns. Our finance and admin teams will then check 3 months of bank statements or payslips. All being well, Guardians are then ready to view some properties.

What traits do you look for in a Guardian?

We need people who understand the value of being part of a community. Aside from the vetting process, we look for people who are sociable and want to be part of the Guardian community and understand Guardianship culture. Protecting a property as a Guardian involves communal cleaning, looking after the kitchen and sharing harmoniously with others, as our properties can house between 6 to 30 Guardians depending on the size. It’s also important to understand that as a Guardian you can be served 28 days’ notice, so you need to be somewhat flexible. If this does happen, we do our very best to relocate you to another property in our network, quickly. If you’re happy to embrace the idea of communal and transient living, and you like the idea of living in different areas in or around London, Guardianship could be great for you.

Do you need experience to be a Guardian?

No! Guardianship isn’t for everyone, but if you embrace the philosophy of Guardianship, you don’t need to be experienced. Experience can help because if you have been a Guardian before then you understand the concept and the rules involved, but if you’re enthusiastic about communal living, sharing and socialising, you’ll be fine!

Joining our Guardian community gives you the opportunity to live in shared accommodation with other like-minded people, and our Guardians benefit from a very affordable living solution when compared to an ordinary rental in the same area. If you think you meet our criteria and want to join one of the best property Guardian schemes in the UK, apply today and we will get in touch as soon as suitable properties become available.