Cities and housing

Keeping the lights on

When the police station in Brenmoor closed, the county council faced a familiar problem. An empty building attracts vandals and thieves, and protecting it with security guards and cameras can cost thousands of pounds a month. The council's solution was to hand the keys to a company that places 'property guardians' – people who live in vacant buildings in return for a modest monthly fee. Eleven guardians, most of them nurses, teachers and postgraduate students, now sleep in what were once offices and interview rooms. The arrangement suits both sides, but it is not without its drawbacks for the guardians. They have far fewer rights than ordinary renters, because they hold a licence rather than a [1] (TENANT), and they can be asked to leave at four weeks' notice as soon as a buyer for the building is found.