Are you wondering if it’s legal for you to go into an abandoned building? What if the police or security comes, will you be arrested for trespassing?

Or maybe the owner of the property can sue you for going on their property without permission? What if you take something? What if there’s a “no trespassing sign?”

Keep in mind that the laws are different in different places. We are just covering property, tort (lawsuits), and criminal law generally.

There are many situations where something is technically illegal but is very rarely enforced. An example of this is jaywalking, not crossing the road at a crossing.

Legality of Exploring Abandoned Buildings: Know Your Rights

This is something that is very common to do, and it’s very unlikely that the police will give you a ticket. You just need to make sure you don’t get run over.

Another example is going slightly over the speed limit on a highway. If you are going just a bit over, it’s unlikely you will get a ticket.

The police will probably wait for someone to come along who is going much faster than the speed limit before pulling them over. Our guess is that the person who gets pulled over will be driving a pick-up truck.

Get permission to explore abandoned buildings (find out who owns the land)

When it comes to exploring an abandoned mansion or property, keep in mind that someone owns it. Someone is always on the title.

Whoever is on the title will need to pay city property taxes. If no one is paying the taxes, chances are that the city will eventually take over ownership of the property. This means that the city that you live in owns the property.

Most land has significant values ( when they are near cities at least) and it’s rare that no one would want it.

Understanding the Legal Implications of Entering Abandoned Properties

If you are really concerned about getting in trouble (which is why you did an internet search to find out if it’s legal before doing it), then you can go to your local land registry office.

Find out who owns the property, and try to contact them. Even if you can’t locate them, you can bring the title printout with you, and proof that you tried to reach out to them.

If anyone ends up questioning why you are exploring the building or mansion, maybe you could say that you were just trying to find the owner. It’s always good to have an excuse up your sleeve.

If you want to take pictures of the building for an art project, maybe they will let you. If you just want to check it out, they are likely to tell you to get lost.

What happens when a building is abandoned by the government?

There are many large buildings that get abandoned by the government and even universities. These organizations have so much money that they are okay with leaving the properties empty for years or decades.

But that doesn’t mean they have given up their rights to the property. If you go on the property, and they choose to “take action” then you could get in trouble.

It’s very unlikely that these organizations will give you permission to explore. I wanted to explore an abandoned gym I use to go to that was owned by a university.

The gym was massive, and it also had an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, and squash courts. When the university build a new building for the gym, they just left the old building to rot.

But they still have security visits to the property often. Chances are they are just holding onto the land, and maybe one day they will sell the land for condos.

Be aware of criminal trespass laws

If you go into someone’s property without their permission, it’s technically criminal trespass. There are also lawsuits that can be filed for trespass.

It’s unlikely you will get in trouble just for going inside. But let’s say you go inside and cause extra damage. The property owner will likely be upset if it costs them money to fix your damage.

If you cause a flood, even though the property is abandoned, the owner might have to deal with the flood. Same thing if you cause a fire.

You also need to be aware that you could be sued for personal injury (not just for trespass.) Let’s say you go into the property and cause damage to the stairs.

Then someone who comes to the property later, or a person goes up the stairs after you and gets seriously hurt. You could be liable for millions of dollars. You might have to pay for their suffering and medical bills.

There’s a reason that the personal injury industry is so large. Make sure no one gets hurt when exploring, and that you don’t cause any damage.

Breaking into an abandoned building

If you need to “break” into an abandoned house, this sounds very criminal. It sounds like breaking and entering, which is a very serious crime.

It goes without saying that if you are going to explore an abandoned place, you shouldn’t need to cause damage to get in. If you need to break a fence, gate, or window to get in, don’t do it.

You absolutely are committing a crime, and you could be liable (under a lawsuit) for causing property damage.

Also, make sure not to take anything while you are there, or this could be considered theft. Breaking in and taking stuff means “break and entry.” Again, this is a very serious crime.

What if the abandoned place has a “NO TRESPASSING” sign?

If someone has a no-trespassing sign-up, it’s clear they don’t want you on the property. Not only do you not have consent, but you also have “non-consent.”

The owner has actually told you they don’t want you there. This makes it more likely that they will call the police, or file a lawsuit if they see you on the land.

You of course also need to be concerned that they might have a firearm and might believe they can shoot you on sight because of the sign. This isn’t true that they can just legally kill you because you trespassed, but they might do it anyway. There is such thing as use of force laws.

You are taking on risks by exploring where you shouldn’t. But that’s probably part of the fun of it, and that’s why people do it.

If there is a fence around the property, and no sign, it’s the same thing as the property owner saying they don’t want you to come onto the property. Otherwise, why would they have put up a fence?

If you need to break a lock to get in, the owner doesn’t want you there.

Is it illegal to graffiti an abandoned building?

It’s not legal to graffiti anything that you don’t own. You are changing someone else’s property without their permission.

You can be charged with “mischief” for creating graffiti without permission.

What to bring when exploring abandoned buildings

You will want to start by finding opportunities to explore abandoned buildings near you. It’s recommended to look for “urban explorer groups.” They have some social media groups for these sorts of things. You can also do internet searches that are specific to your city.

You will want to bring a first aid kit, just in case anyone gets hurt. Make sure to bring a flashlight, as parts of the property will likely be hard to see. This is especially true if you go at night.

In conclusion, it’s very unlikely that you will get into legal trouble for exploring an abandoned property. Just make sure that no one gets injured, and that you don’t cause any damage.

Is Entering an Abandoned Building Legal?

Know that you are taking risks if the owner has made it clear that they don’t want people there. It’s up to you to decide your risk tolerance.

Let us know in the comments if you have heard of someone getting in legal trouble for urban exploring. Or if you know anyone that got hurt.

We hope you found this guide on if it’s legal to go into an abandoned building helpful.

Read more articles to learn more about the law.