Camelot Property Management

Camelot Property Management Ltd.
Company typePrivate Limited Company
IndustryProperty, Security
Founded1993
Number of locations
12 (Belgium, France, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands and United Kingdom)
Key people
Joost van Gestel, CEO
Number of employees
200

Camelot Property Management Ltd. (Dutch: Camelot Beheer BV) is a vacant property management firm started in the Netherlands in 1993.[1][2] Camelot manages commercial and residential properties on behalf of landlords and property developers by assigning people to occupy vacant buildings to deter squatters.[3][4]

Overview

They are notable for having taken most of their UK subsidiary companies into voluntary liquidation several times,[5] the most recent being November 2019[6] after Camelot Guardian Management Ltd were successfully prosecuted for 15 breaches of the Housing Act.[7]

Occupiers pay a deposit and a weekly management fee, often a half of the private rental sector equivalent for similar properties in the same area, and in return they help keep the property secure through being occupied.[8]

The occupiers do not have the same tenancy rights for six months notice and have fewer rights than squatters.[9][10]

Other companies offering similar property guardian services include Live-In Guardians, Dex Property Management, VPS Guardians and Ad-Hoc Property Management.[11] These companies have been taken to court over several different breaches such as health and safety of their guardians, some for illegally renting out properties without the owners consent.[12]

Camelot also provide squat eviction services and security guards. The company successfully lobbied the French government to introduce anti-squatting legislation.[13]

In 2016, the former headquarters of Camelot in Shoreditch, east London, were occupied by squatters.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Van Antikraak Tot Tijdelijke Verhuur". Camelot Beheer BV. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  2. ^ Sinclair, Julie (28 March 2004). "London: On guard and in pocket". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  3. ^ Norwood, Graham (10 January 2010). "Property guardian schemes offer quirky homes at low rents. But not for long". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  4. ^ Creasey, Simon (October 2002). "Licensed live-in minders protect against squatters". Property Week. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  5. ^ "UK Director or various Camelot Guardian companies, Joost VAN GESTEL - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  6. ^ "CAMELOT REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT LIMITED - Filing history (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  7. ^ "Property guardian company prosecuted over former care home where more than 30 guardians lived with one kitchen". inews.co.uk. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  8. ^ "About property guardianship". Property Guardian Providers Association. PGPA. 2019-11-26. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07.
  9. ^ Finchett-Maddock, Lucy (9 July 2010). "Who's guarding property guardians?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  10. ^ The Squatters Handbook 13th edition. ASS. 2009. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-9507769-6-5.
  11. ^ "PGPA list of members". Property Guardian Providers Association. 2019-11-26. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2015-09-08.
  12. ^ Peaker, Giles (2018-09-20). "Property guardians and 'non-domestic rates'". Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  13. ^ "Dutch 'Anti-squat' concept entered into new French legislation". Camelot Property Management. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  14. ^ Taylor, Diane (27 September 2016). "London protesters occupy former HQ of property management firm". Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
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