What Causes Homes To Become Abandoned? - Urbex Underground (2024)

Ever wonder what causes homes to become abandoned?

Homes become abandoned due to lack of employment, increased crime rate, or dangerous environmental hazards such as radiation or contaminated drinking water. Below we explore this phenomenon in more detail.

I’ve been in homes where everything was just left sitting for years. Food in the fridge, dishes in the sink, clothes in the laundry basket. It’s a weird feeling seeing everything in the same place that it was left years ago, and it makes you wonder what happened. In this article, we’ll be exploring what causes abandoned houses, and why someone would leave everything behind.

Deportation & Imprisonment

In 2017, 81,600 people were removed from their residences and deported from the United States. When this happens their belongings as well as their homes can become lost, or seized by the government. While there are procedures in place to collect immigrant’s belongings and return them, that isn’t always what happens.

Depending on the circ*mstances the home can be sealed and held in a state of ‘limbo’ for years. Often times valuables like jewelry, family photos, home movies, and even the ashes of family members become entombed inside.

I remember entering a small residential home that had sat on a corner for over 5 years. It was early morning and upon entering through the basem*nt into the kitchen, plates were still on the table. The house was a time capsule, and even though the ceiling was caving in due to water damage everything else sat still.

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There was enough personal information inside that I was able to determine the family was deported after doing further research. Children’s drawings molding on the refrigerator and Christmas decorations still hanging in the August heat is a strange and sad sight to see.

Environmental Hazards

Sometimes conditions in an area can become so unbearable, people just leave everything behind. This can be natural like a volcano or flood, or man-made like radiation exposure or polluted groundwater.

One of the most famous examples of mass exodus is the evacuation of Pripyat in 1986 when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic failure. Authorities evacuated 120,000 people from their homes in the city and surrounding area. Families could only take what they could carry, and many thought that they would be able to return in a few days.

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This was not the case.

More recently in 2011 the failure at the f*ckushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had displaced over 160,000 people. Of those people roughly 80,000 still remain displaced. While some were allowed to return briefly to their homes to retrieve some of their belongings, a majority of the buildings and homes remain abandoned with everything inside.

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Lastly on the island of Montserrat there was a town Plymouth where a volcano erupted multiple times during the 1990s. The island was covered in molten lava and the air was saturated with ash. Conditions became so bad the entire island had to be evacuated. Many of the homes are now destroyed but with such little notice, so were their personal possessions

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Foreclosure

This is broad, but probably accounts for the vast majority of the abandoned homes you will find. When a homeowner is unable to pay their monthly mortgage the lender will take the home as collateral. Usually this means the bank cleans out the property and resells it, but it doesn’t always end up that easy.

In impoverished communities homes become abandoned because homeowners cannot make their payments. The surrounding area usually has a higher crime rate due to lack of jobs, education and overall opportunity. This creates a snowball like effect where home values fall, and those who can leave, leave quickly.

This creates an environment where the population is decreasing, home values have plummeted, and no one is buying. Banks now have swaths of homes that are left rotting and unmaintained while slumlords buy properties cheaply to provide low quality government backed housing for those on government assistance. It’s a complicated problem, and this doesn’t cover all of the factors that go into what causes homes to become abandoned, but it’s an overview on how neighborhood blight can run rampant.

Cities like Flint Michigan are hit hard hit extremely hard where not only are they dealing with the problems above, but they are also suffering from failing infrastructure, contaminated water, and lack of opportunity. 41% of people in Flint live below the poverty line. Cities such as Flint and Detroit which relied so heavily on one company or industry are hit the hardest by layoffs and negative changes in the market.

What About Businesses?

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The reason why businesses become vacant is a lot different and sometimes more complex to understand and explain.

Businesses much like residential homes suffer from declining population and lack of education in the area. Certain businesses that rely on the community itself for commerce such as a grocery store or gym may have to close due to declining sales, inability to fill positions, or theft. Once again this can snowball and cause entire communities to become derelict.

Sometimes a local healthy economy isn’t enough.

Major shifts in industry such as the boom in ecommerce can drastically change communities in a short period of time. Companies such as Amazon and Ebay have driven smaller brick and mortar businesses to bankruptcy. Smaller companies who can’t compete online begin to fade out of existence. With the absence of those physical stores, buildings and strip malls lay dormant waiting to be filled often times for years before getting another tenant.

We see the side effects of this industry shift with the death of malls. Overtime more and more stores are closing their doors and malls are slated for demolition or sale. In a twist of fate, Amazon has been known to purchase the very malls it helped run out of business to build its fulfillment centers.

Amazon isn’t the only company who has disrupted local communities. Detroit famously known for its success in the automotive industry, relied heavily on the Big Three for employment. The Big Three consisted of GM, Ford, and Chrysler and were a major source of economic success and employment in Detroit.

Between 1945 and 1957 the Big Three began to close large plants in the inner city and build multiple smaller plants in the suburbs. This was done to mitigate the risk of a complete shutdown due to labor strikes, which weren’t uncommon at the time.

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Overtime other automakers would go out of business completely as the Big Three and parts manufacturers relocate to other areas of the state and the country. In more recent times, automation has been a threat to employment in the auto industry as well as factories in general. This combined with cheaper labor and parts overseas drives large corporations to seek cheaper alternatives away from American cities.

The reason why homes become abandoned isn’t always an easy one to answer. No matter why they’re left vacant, it’s still a place someone used to call home. Even if the place is trashed, be respectful because you are just a visitor.

What Causes Homes To Become Abandoned? - Urbex Underground (2024)

FAQs

What causes abandoned houses? ›

A house that is abandoned usually is one that has been left unoccupied and vacant due to foreclosure, bankruptcy, or other financial or legal reasons. Local governments are usually not collecting property taxes anymore from the original owner.

Why are houses being abandoned in cities skylines? ›

Buildings are abandoned as a result of failures of services and infrastructure. Causes of abandonment include flooding, a build up of garbage, sewage or corpses. A lack of water, electricity or a build up of crime can also drive people away.

Why are there so many abandoned houses in rdr2? ›

Because the vacant properties are owned by someone and not available for random strangers to move in and squat.

Why do people go to abandoned places? ›

Pure curiosity: Many people who love to visit these places do so out of sheer curiosity. Who lived there? Why did they leave? They are eerily beautiful - For many, there is a strange beauty to seeing something made by a man slowly, but inexorably destroyed by the ravages of time.

What causes abandoned towns? ›

Factors leading to the abandonment of towns include depleted natural resources, economic activity shifting elsewhere, railroads and roads bypassing or no longer accessing the town, human intervention, disasters, massacres, wars, and the shifting of politics or fall of empires.

What are abandoned houses called? ›

Bona vacantia, also known as vacant goods, refers to property without a clear owner. Bona vacantia assets may be abandoned or unclaimed by its owner.

Why do abandoned houses fall apart? ›

When a house is abandoned, it is no longer protected in a way to keep environmental elements out. Even when a house has occupants but no repairs done to the house when needed, the house will fall apart.

Why are buildings just abandoned? ›

Abandoned buildings decay quickly for a number of reasons, including leaks and damage in the ceiling and floor, a lack of maintenance and external factors, such as animals and the ambient weather.

How do you stop houses from being abandoned in city skylines? ›

To fix this you need to level up industry so that they will require educated workers. Now to do this you need a provide services to your industry district. The services needed to get to at least level two are: Police HQ, Fire HQ, Hospital and public transport.

Why do old mansions get abandoned? ›

Water contamination, air pollution, or other plagues can cause people to leave their homes and commercial property and abandon their properties for good.

What is the scariest place in rdr2? ›

The Devil's Cave

Unexplored caves are naturally creepy since there is no way of knowing what can be found. In one cave just North of the town of Strawberry, Arthur will come across odd markings on the walls and the cave itself is rather foreboding.

What happens to mansions that are abandoned? ›

Local governments will seize properties that have been vacated and left unoccupied for a long time and tend to attract undesirable attention. There are two terms when it comes to abandoned properties: Distressed property, this is a home in a bad condition due to financial problems, or just plain neglect.

What are the dangers of exploring abandoned houses? ›

Many abandoned structures have hazards such as unstable structures, unsafe floors, broken glass, stray voltage, entrapment hazards, or unknown chemicals and other harmful substances (most notably asbestos). Other risks include freely roaming guard dogs and hostile squatters.

What is the fear of abandoned places called? ›

Summary. Kenophobia is a situational type of specific phobia. You may experience intense feelings of anxiety or distress when you are around empty spaces or when you think about them.

What are the dangers of urban exploration? ›

The dangers and risks of urban exploration are numerous - including risk to life. Derelict buildings may contain hazardous materials such as asbestos and faeces from pigeons and other rodents. Tall buildings pose an obvious and significant physical danger to the urban explorer.

What state has the most abandoned? ›

A study conducted by a company named Geotab has compiled a list of over 3,800 ghost towns across America. According to the company, Texas has the most ghost towns of any state, with over 500.

Why are abandoned places so cool? ›

Abandoned places are super interesting because they offer a trip in the past, in places that don't see human presence for decades, embellished by that “creepy look” that most derelict places offer.

Are there abandoned towns in the United States? ›

As The New York Times reported, some 3,800 ghost towns exist in America, mostly abandoned between the 19th and 20th centuries for greener pastures and big city dreams.

What is the most abandoned house? ›

1. Lynnewood Hall, Pennsylvania | Abandoned Houses.

Where are the most abandoned homes? ›

The Most Vacant Cities in America: 2022 Data. The three most vacant cities in the U.S. are all in Florida: Orlando, Miami, and Tampa. These cities are known for tourism and vacation homes, which means houses sit vacant for much of the year.

What is it called when a homeless person lives in an abandoned house? ›

Squatting is when someone is occupying an empty or abandoned property which they don't own or rent, and without the owner's permission. This is often without the owner's knowledge and without any legal right to do so.

What are the signs of abandoned home? ›

Common signs of abandonment include overgrown grass and weeds, chipped or faded paint, no cars in the driveway, and structural damage among others. Ask a mailman or delivery carrier if they see any abandoned homes on their routes.

Can you get sick from an abandoned house? ›

If there has been flooding or issues with air quality, you could end up getting very sick in certain abandoned buildings. These structures can be fire traps without basic firefighting services, so you should always be sure no surrounding buildings are burning.

Is it bad to live next to an abandoned house? ›

Abandoned properties are linked to higher crime rates, which has been shown through a variety of studies over several decades. Not only does this put you, your family, and your neighbors at risk of theft and violence, it lowers your property values even further.

What is the meaning of abandoned house? ›

An abandoned place or building is no longer used or occupied.

What is it called when you live in an abandoned building? ›

Squatting, the practice of living in abandoned or unoccupied spaces that a squatter does not legally own, is a great way to avoid paying rent, annex parts of your neighbors' yards, or even take a whole house from someone if you're willing to take the risk.

What are the dangers of abandoned buildings? ›

A serious hazard in abandoned buildings is exposed wiring. The risk of electrical shock or fire is significant, so you should treat any exposed wiring with extreme care.

How do I let go of abandoned? ›

How to cope internally with emotional abandonment
  1. Engage in something deeply relaxing. Creating inner calm can help you feel better, which you can do with relatively simple practices. ...
  2. Practice self-compassion. ...
  3. Ask someone else to meet your needs. ...
  4. Explore unhealthy patterns. ...
  5. Assess the future of your relationship.
Oct 14, 2021

How do I explore an abandoned house? ›

Ask Permission

It's tempting to assume that no one will notice or care if you sneak into an abandoned mansion. But chances are good that someone still owns the property, and if you enter without permission, you're trespassing. Take the time to do your homework, find the owner and ask if you can visit.

What is the largest abandoned mansion United States? ›

Lynnewood Hall

Who owns the biggest house? ›

Who is the owner of the biggest house in the world ? Istana Nurul Iman Palace, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is the largest house in the world, spread over 2.15 million square feet.

What celebrity has an abandoned mansion? ›

Steve Jobs' demolished California mansion

During the 11 years of its vacancy, the billionaire's abandoned mansion lacked any kind of maintenance and fell into an appalling state of disrepair.

Can you go to where Arthur Morgan died? ›

Arthur's Grave – Can be visited as John Marston after Arthur Morgan's death, located on top of the mountain to the northeast of Bacchus bridge. Whether players had high or low honor as Arthur Morgan will impact the epitaph, with high honor also spawning an eagle and low honor spawning a coyote.

Can you get Arthur laid in rd2? ›

Much like the original Red Dead Redemption, sex and nudity are not featured in Red Dead Redemption 2. However, there are some scenes involving one of Arthurs former lovers.

Can you buy abandoned houses in USA? ›

Sometimes, abandoned properties are still owned by the original property owner, but they haven't done anything with the property. So the key to buying abandoned property is to get in touch with the property owners to determine your next steps. This will take some legwork on your part, so prepare yourself.

Are there abandoned mansions in the US? ›

Believe it or not, there are thousands of abandoned homes across the United States. Some lavish estates that were once worth millions of dollars are now in crumbled ruins.

How many abandoned houses are in America? ›

Sixteen million homes currently sit vacant across the U.S. In every state across the country, many homes remain empty while hundreds of thousands of Americans face homelessness.

Can abandonment cause trauma? ›

Physical and emotional abandonment can lead to trauma. If a traumatic incident happened during childhood, it may impact your development and the way your brain is wired. It may also affect the way you see yourself and your adult relationships. Recovering from any type of trauma, including abandonment, is possible.

What are the symptoms of abandonment trauma? ›

“Symptoms of abandonment trauma can include extreme insecurity or anxiety within a relationship, obsessive or intrusive thoughts of being abandoned, and also debilitating self-esteem or self regard.” When children feel abandoned, it can leave them feeling frightened and unsafe.

What are abandonment issues in adults? ›

Abandonment issues are a form of anxiety that occurs when an individual has a strong fear of losing loved ones. People with abandonment issues can have difficulties in relationships. They may exhibit symptoms such as codependency, clinginess, or manipulative behavior.

What are the risks of living in an urban area? ›

Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments.

What are the risks associated with urban environments? ›

Noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, asthma, cancer and diabetes are made worse by unhealthy living and working conditions, inadequate green space, pollution such as noise, water and soil contamination, urban heat islands and a lack of space for walking, cycling and active living.

What is urban exploration short for? ›

Urbex, short for “urban exploring,” is the act of exploring abandoned or off-limit objects in both urban and rural environments. These objects are often no longer in use and can range from abandoned theaters to deserted mines or an overgrown church ruin like the one below.

Why do houses deteriorate when no one lives in them? ›

Vacant homes and buildings often succumb to the elements and deteriorate due to leaks, damage and general lack of maintenance before ever finding a buyer willing to pay their inflated prices. An abundance of vacant homes on the market are also attributed to rising rent and home prices.

What happens to a house when no one lives in it? ›

What Happens When a House Sits Vacant? Due to deferred maintenance and neglect, vacant houses are usually characterized by problems such as overgrown yards, broken windows, collapsing roofs, mold, and broken water pipes. Some of this damage is caused by vermin like raccoons, rats, mice, and bugs.

How long does it take for a house to look abandoned? ›

In most states, abandoned property is real estate that includes any house or building that's been unoccupied for at least 1 year. However, it also includes any property that the owners forfeited their rights to and that remains unoccupied.

What is true about abandoned property? ›

Abandoned property refers to any personal property that is left by an owner who has intentionally relinquished all rights to its control. When property is intentionally abandoned, it belongs to no one until it is found.

What does abandoned their home mean? ›

An abandoned place or building is no longer used or occupied.

Is it bad for a house to sit empty? ›

The most common structural damages to occur in a vacant home include: Leaky, broken, or frozen pipes. Mold. Termites and other insects or animals.

What is a common problem in old houses? ›

Common problems in older homes result from deferred maintenance, poorly executed repairs, and older building materials, and fixing them can be expensive. The issues found in an older house will depend on how well previous owners have maintained it, but you will find unpreventable age-related problems.

Is it unhealthy to live in an old house? ›

Some of the most concerning dangers of old houses are asbestos and lead paint. Asbestos was commonly used for insulation, wall patching, and other home construction until the 1970s, and lead paint was common in-home decorating until the federal government banned it in 1978.

What percentage of people never own a house? ›

64% of Americans own real estate. 35% of the American population does not own their own homes. Homeownership rates have increased to nearly 65% in the US since the 1940s.

How many houses can you own in life? ›

If you're seeking financing for a home you intend to live in full time, you can own an unlimited number of other homes, financed or otherwise. Lending guidelines may limit your use of special financing programs, however.

How long should you live in one house? ›

A guideline commonly cited by real estate experts is to stay at your house for at least five years. On average, this is how long it takes a homeowner to make up for mortgage interest and closing costs.

What city in America has the most abandoned houses? ›

The three most vacant cities in the U.S. are all in Florida: Orlando, Miami, and Tampa. These cities are known for tourism and vacation homes, which means houses sit vacant for much of the year.

What is the oldest abandoned mansion in the USA? ›

Lynnewood Hall

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