Who owns the building or the property? Do they want it investigated? Even if the building (or especially if the building) looks abandoned and is in a dilapidated condition, the owner has the right to determine who may enter the building and when they may inter it. Trespassing fines may be very expensive. If one enters a building without the owner’s permission and is injured, the owner likely will not be found negligent and not responsible for the injured party’s medical bills. This is especially true if the building is fenced off or there is a “no-trespassing” sign on it.
Now to many people, discussing this might seem a little extreme. I mean, all your out for is a little entertainment and some mind stimulation. But remember in the case of a dilapidated building, the floor may not support your weight, stair rails may be rickety, and in the case of a multi-floored building there may be an elevator shaft that is completely open. Ask about the building’s condition when you talk to the owner.
Another very important thing to discuss is whether or not there are functioning power lines to the building. Old wiring can leak; this can throw off the most expensive EMF meter and give you false readings. Being around fluorescent lighting can also give you false readings. I was with an experienced hunter who was showing some novices around a vacant, allegedly haunted restaurant in St. Augustine. People were getting amazing EMF spikes. It only happened in the front of the restaurant. It was then that I looked up and noticed that the streetlamps in front of this old restaurant were all fluorescent. The ghost in that case was the city of St. Augustine
The whole trespassing thing also applies to cemeteries. If one comes across the cemetery with some kind of chain or gate across the road, there’s a pretty good chance that one could be convicted of trespassing if one climbs the gate or jumps the chain. In St. Augustine, it’s a $2500 fine for trespassing in the city cemeteries.