Safety — explore responsibly

Urban exploration is a real-risk activity. Abandoned sites can contain: unstable structures (rotten floors, collapsed stairs, roofs about to fall),asbestos and other toxic materials, asbestosis, lead, carbon monoxide, wild animals, drugs, squatters. No urbex is worth a life.

Non-negotiable rules

• Never alone. Always in pairs minimum, with a third party informed of location and return time.
• Equipment. High boots, headlamp, FFP3 mask if asbestos suspected, gloves, helmet on structurally risky sites.
• Charged phone. And have the emergency number (112 in Europe, 911 in US) pre-saved.
• Don't force. If the door is locked, the window intact, the site fenced: don't break, don't force. Breaking and entering is a crime.
• Leave at the slightest doubt. Suspicious sound, unusual smell, cracking structure: leave. Come back another time.

Legality

Urbex is legally complex. Trespass laws vary widely by country and site status (private vs. public, fenced vs. open). Know the law where you explore. Breaking in is always a crime — picking a lock, breaking a window, climbing a fence with No Trespassing signs. Walking into an open, unfenced site has less legal risk but is still trespass in most jurisdictions.

Sensitive site: what to do

If you discover something serious (body, drugs, signs of violent squat, active damage):leave and call emergency services (112 EU, 911 US). Don't document, don't touch. Curiosity has no place here.

Relation to the app

Urbex Legends documents sites but never validates their current state. A place marked "accessible" may have been walled off yesterday. Always verify visually before committing. The community updates the status, but the lag between ground truth and database varies.