Vacant rental homes can swiftly become a source of deep distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found immediately, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces may seem like an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters seeking shelter. Without clear oversight, what was once a vibrant home can spiral into an uncared-for shell, drawing in trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting involves the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. Said plainly, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can similarly consider former tenants who stay on the property without paying rent after their lease has expired or been terminated.
Unlawful occupants can negatively impact your rental property and make it quite difficult to lease to new tenants. To fruitfully prevent squatters, it is beneficial to secure your property. If you do not have your residence near your rental home, contemplate on hiring a property management company to monitor the property regularly and handle tenant turnover.
What to do at the first sign of a squatter?
If you notice a squatter on your property, you should immediately contact the police. The longer you enable a squatter to linger and stay, the harder it will be to evict them later. Courts may interpret your failure to act as a sign of consent, making the eviction process tougher.
Another potential issue comes about if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In innumerable areas, doing so can establish legal residency, despite the fact that the squatter occupies your property without your permission. If this happens, the police may classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the next part of the process is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Simply providing this notice can oftentimes encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. Except, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will establish formal eviction proceedings.
The duration of this process can vary depending on the effectiveness of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. When you receive a judgment in your favor from the court, you can enlist the local sheriff or police to remove the squatter on your behalf.
What to do with a squatter’s leftover property?
Once you have successfully evicted your squatters, you’ll have to take care of any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left by preference or were compulsorily removed, it’s customary for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps are hugely dependent on the laws in your area. In considerable states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. That being said, in other places, you will perhaps be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and pay you back for the storage fees, you may have the right to auction off the items or dispose of them in compliance with local regulations.
Handling squatters can be protracted and resource-intensive. To eliminate this, proactive management is the major key. At Real Property Management Dade, we profitably administer tenant move-outs and fill vacancies without delay. An occupied rental property is both thriving and free from squatters. For more details related to our property management services in Cutler Bay, please contact us online or call 305-501-1511.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
