diff --git a/app/src/frontend/building/multi-edit.tsx b/app/src/frontend/building/multi-edit.tsx
index a408153b..81617bae 100644
--- a/app/src/frontend/building/multi-edit.tsx
+++ b/app/src/frontend/building/multi-edit.tsx
@@ -34,7 +34,20 @@ const MultiEdit = (props) => {
     }
 
     const q = parse(props.location.search);
-    const data = JSON.parse(q.data as string) // TODO: verify what happens when data is string[]
+
+    let data: object;
+    if (cat === 'like'){
+        data = { like: true }
+    } else {
+        try {
+            // TODO: verify what happens if data is string[]
+            data = JSON.parse(q.data as string);
+        } catch (error) {
+            console.error(error, q)
+            data = {}
+        }
+    }
+
     const title = sectionTitleFromCat(cat);
     return (
         <Sidebar>
diff --git a/app/src/frontend/map-app.tsx b/app/src/frontend/map-app.tsx
index 9f77ee99..5191f3fe 100644
--- a/app/src/frontend/map-app.tsx
+++ b/app/src/frontend/map-app.tsx
@@ -142,11 +142,17 @@ class MapApp extends React.Component<MapAppProps, MapAppState> {
     colourBuilding(building) {
         const cat = this.props.match.params.category;
         const q = parse(window.location.search);
-        const data = (cat === 'like') ? { like: true } : JSON.parse(q.data as string); // TODO: verify what happens if data is string[]
+
         if (cat === 'like') {
             this.likeBuilding(building.building_id)
         } else {
-            this.updateBuilding(building.building_id, data)
+            try {
+                // TODO: verify what happens if data is string[]
+                const data = JSON.parse(q.data as string);
+                this.updateBuilding(building.building_id, data)
+            } catch (error) {
+                console.error(error, q)
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -245,4 +251,4 @@ class MapApp extends React.Component<MapAppProps, MapAppState> {
     }
 }
 
-export default MapApp;
\ No newline at end of file
+export default MapApp;