Is this a thing that happens?

I hadn't heard of it myself. But, charging people rent to live in an empty building rather than paying a security company to patrol it seems sensible from a purely capitalist point of view... Doing that with an old hospital seems problematic. But, I suppose it makes for an interesting setting for a sitcom and, considering how much I enjoyed episode one, I'm happy to suspend my disbelief.

Property Guardianship Schemes are thought to have first appeared in the Netherlands in the 1990s as a response to a government clampdown on squatting. Although, some argue that similar ad-hoc schemes in New York City predate that.

These schemes have really taken off in the UK,especially London due to the very high property prices and rents. The vast number of historic buildings in the UK and the legal requirements enforced on the owners of such buildings also make such schemes very attractive to the building owners.

However, Property Guardianship Schemes are the ultimate in "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is". In return for a cheap "rent" property guardians are in effect giving away their rights. A property guardian is not a tenant and has none of the rights that tenants enjoy.

It is an arrangement that is not very suitable for families with children, the companies that run the schemes and the building owners have the right to visit and inspect the property almost at will and without prior notice, there are frequent claims of the companies unfairly fining guardians or keeping their deposits for damage to the property and a whole list of petty reasons, many of the companies insist that guardians have to purchase equipment such a fire kits and first aid kits from the company, as guardians are not tenants the companies can "evict" them with very little notice - though they tend to move them on to another property in their care rather than just kick them out.

In London at least, the "rents" charged to property guardians are no longer the bargains they once were either. Demand is so high for property guardianship places that where it was once possible to pay £40 a week including utilities, it is now not uncommon to pay £800+ per month.

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/mar/24/property-guardians-housing-solution-opportunism

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/07/i-cant-even-afford-be-property-guardian

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23082912

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/24/the-high-price-of-cheap-living-how-the-property-guardianship-dream-soured


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Sparks Moran: "It was dusk. I could tell 'cause the sun had gone down"