COVID-19 has led to the sudden, temporary closure of businesses all over the country. The UK government has not specified how long the lockdown will continue, so countless enterprises have had to shut their doors without knowing when they will reopen. Whether you rent or own your premises, you may have concluded your last day of trading with your usual end-of-day lockup procedures, unaware that the building may be vacant for a period of weeks or even months.

But is your commercial property secure enough to be left unoccupied for an extended period? And even if you think it is, would your insurance company agree? To answer this question, you have to do two things simultaneously: think like a thief, and think like an insurer. Sound like a tall order? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

First, we’ll outline how your insurer will look at your situation, should the coronavirus lockdown lead to an insurance claim. Second, we’ll set you on course to protect your property against opportunists, thus avoiding the dreaded phone call to your insurer in the first place.