Running a pub is expensive in terms of overheads and margins are tight. Add some complex VAT and excise duty collection for the government, plus the public sector form filling, complaints handling, rowdy customers etc and you can see why many people simply don’t see the point in owning, or managing a pub. But as pubs gradually transform into HMOs there is an inbetween phase, where they sit idle, attracting local arsonists, urban explorers or anyone with a refused planning application and a demolition sub-contractor on standby.
For insurers empty pubs pose a risk, not just to the buildings themselves, but potentially other buildings nearby that might be damaged by a major fire. Here’s the word;
New Government planning rules designed to protect England’s pubs from being lost to housing conversion could inadvertently extend the length of time hundreds of properties sit empty and vulnerable, according to Woodgate & Clark, the specialist loss adjusters.
While the measures aim to preserve community assets, Woodgate & Clark warns that the mandatory waiting period could leave more pubs and clubs standing empty for longer — increasing the risk of vandalism, arson, trespass and other vacant property claims.
Woodgate & Clark’s loss adjusters are seeing a consistent and growing pattern of unoccupied pubs, clubs and similar venues being entered by vandals and trespassers, who cause deliberate damage, start fires or film content — including so-called “ghost hunting” videos — for social media.
Sarah Durkin, Director of Investigations at Woodgate & Clark, said: “Empty pubs and clubs are becoming a magnet for exactly this kind of activity. A building that sits vacant for months has time to attract attention, and once footage starts circulating online, it can draw even more people to the same location. The longer these properties are required to sit empty before they can be repurposed, the longer the window of exposure.”
A growing dispute over proof — on both sides
Woodgate & Clark also highlights an emerging complication in how these claims are being contested.
Most vacant property insurance policies require the owner to carry out regular inspections as a condition of cover. When a claim is investigated, it can quickly become clear that a property has been neglected — inspections have lapsed, and the building has effectively been left unchecked for extended periods.
While social media footage inside abandoned properties is now being used as evidence of non-compliance with the policy terms, property owners are attempting to dismiss genuine video evidence of vandalism or trespass — often filmed by the intruders themselves — by claiming the footage is AI-generated or fake.
Woodgate & Clark is also increasingly encountering owners using fabricated records to try to demonstrate that inspections were carried out when the evidence suggests otherwise.
Sarah Durkin continues: “These cases highlight the value of human skills in claims investigations. In both cases it was Woodgate & Clark’s forensics specialist that confirmed the validity of the video evidence and that the policyholder’s proof of compliance had in fact been created only after the claim was already underway.
“As well as claimants disputing our own evidence as AI fakery, we are seeing AI created documents and synthetic IDs being used in more and more claims. Right now, it is only sound forensic skills and years of investigative experience that will help protect the sector against the use and abuse of AI in insurance claims.”
Woodgate & Clark is urging insurance providers and vacant property owners to treat inspection compliance as a priority, particularly as more properties face extended vacancy periods under the new rules. Clear, verifiable, time-stamped inspection records will become increasingly important in supporting or contesting claims as this trend develops.
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