Is It Safe to Let a Film Production Use Your Building?

If a film or television production wants to use your property, your first thought might be: is this safe? Will they damage something? What if someone gets hurt? What about my tenants? These are legitimate concerns, and they are the exact questions that every property owner asks before their first shoot. The short answer is that professional productions are extremely well-organized, fully insured, and go to significant lengths to protect the properties they film in.

Here is what you need to know about safety, liability, insurance, and how to protect yourself and your building.

Professional Productions Carry Comprehensive Insurance

Every legitimate film and television production carries a comprehensive general liability (CGL) insurance policy, typically with $1 million to $5 million in coverage. Before any crew member sets foot on your property, the production is required to name you and your building as an additional insured on their policy and provide you with a certificate of insurance (COI).

This means that the production’s insurance — not yours — covers any damage to your property, any injuries that occur during the shoot, and any third-party claims that arise from the production’s activities. This is standard practice across the industry and is non-negotiable for professional productions.

Crews Are Trained to Protect Your Property

This might surprise property owners who have never hosted a shoot, but film crews take property protection very seriously. Productions routinely use protective coverings on all floors (whether hardwood, carpet, or tile), padding and corner guards on walls, doorframes, and elevators, protective wraps on any furniture or fixtures that remain in the space, and designated pathways for equipment movement to minimize contact with walls and surfaces.

Productions also assign a specific crew member — usually the location manager or a location assistant — to monitor the condition of the property throughout the entire shoot. Their job is to make sure the space is treated with care and that any minor issues are addressed immediately.

Before and After Documentation

Professional productions photograph your property extensively before any setup begins and again after the strike is complete. This creates a clear record of the property’s condition before and after the shoot, which protects both you and the production. If there is any dispute about damage, the photographic record resolves it quickly.

If you are working with Reset Locations, we also document the condition of the property and stay involved throughout the process to make sure everything is returned to its original state.

What About Tenant Disruption?

For commercial property owners with active tenants, disruption is often a bigger concern than damage. The good news is that productions are experienced at working around active operations. They do this regularly and understand that your building does not shut down for their shoot.

Productions often film in specific areas of a building — a lobby, a conference room, a particular floor — while the rest of the building operates normally. The location agreement specifies exactly which areas the crew can access, what hours they can work, and any restrictions on noise or activity. Productions are also willing to work around your schedule, filming on weekends, evenings, or during off-hours when the impact on tenants is minimal.

At Reset Locations, we coordinate closely with both the production and the property owner to minimize disruption. We make sure tenants are notified in advance, that access routes are planned to avoid high-traffic areas, and that the production’s schedule aligns with the building’s operations.

What If Something Does Get Damaged?

In the rare event that damage does occur, the production’s insurance covers the cost of repair or replacement. This is handled through a claims process that is straightforward and well-established in the industry.

In our experience at Reset Locations, significant damage from a professional production is extremely rare. The most common issues are minor and cosmetic — a scuff on a wall, a small mark on a floor — and these are typically addressed on the spot before the crew leaves. Productions understand that their reputation depends on leaving properties in the condition they found them, and they take that responsibility seriously.

What About Security?

Productions maintain tight control over their sets. They have their own security teams, sign-in sheets for everyone who enters the property, and strict protocols about who can access which areas. In many cases, the security on a film set is more rigorous than what the building has on a typical day.

If your building has its own security team or protocols, the production will coordinate with them in advance. This is covered in the location agreement and discussed during the pre-production planning process.

The Role of a Location Brokerage in Protecting Your Property

One of the most important reasons to work with a location brokerage like Reset Locations is that we serve as your advocate throughout the entire process. We have seen hundreds of shoots and understand exactly what to look for, what to negotiate, and how to protect your interests.

Specifically, we make sure your location agreement includes appropriate protections for your property, the production provides a valid COI before anyone arrives, the crew follows all agreed-upon rules about access and property protection, any issues that arise during the shoot are addressed immediately, and the property is restored to its original condition after the strike.

We stay in close communication with both you and the production from the first inquiry through wrap day. Property owners who are new to filming often tell us that having an experienced advocate in their corner — someone who understands both the film production world and the property owner’s perspective — is what gave them the confidence to say yes. For a full walkthrough of the process, see What to Expect When a Film Crew Wants to Use Your Property.

The Bottom Line

Hosting a professional film production on your property is safe. The industry has decades of established protocols for protecting locations, and productions invest significant time and money in making sure properties are cared for. The financial upside — location fees that can range from $2,000 to $25,000 per day — is real, and the risk is minimal when you work with professionals who know what they are doing.

If you own property in New Jersey and want to learn more about how filming works and whether your building is a good fit, list your location with Reset Locations or call us at (917) 757-0841. We will walk you through everything, answer every question, and make sure you feel confident before anything moves forward.

What to Expect When a Film Crew Wants to Use Your Property

5 Questions Every Property Owner Asks Before Their First Film Shoot

Inside a Film Location Booking: What Happens from First Call to Wrap Day

Is It Safe to Let a Film Production Use Your Building?