Vacant rental homes can instantly become a source of the biggest distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found at once, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces quite seem like an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters desirous of shelter. Without exceptional oversight, what was once a vibrant home can immediately spiral into a neglected shell, inciting trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting concerns the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. Plainly, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can additionally include former tenants who continue to dwell 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 tricky to lease to new tenants. To advantageously prevent squatters, it is imperative to secure your property. If you are not settling near your rental home, try to hire 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 let a squatter 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 harder.
Another potential issue occurs if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In multiple areas, doing so can establish legal residency, even though the squatter is occupying your property without your permission. If this certainly happens, the police may classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the next move is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Simply providing this notice can usually encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. Despite that, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will then kickstart formal eviction proceedings.
How long this process will usually take can vary depending on the efficacy of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. If you achieve a judgment in your favor from the court, you can certainly enlist the local sheriff or police to remove the squatter on your behalf.
What to do with a squatter’s leftover property?
If by any chance you have successfully evicted your squatters, you’ll have to deal with any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left deliberately or were forcefully removed, it’s quite understandable for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps are largely dependent on the laws in your area. In multiple states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. Having said that, in other places, you will probably 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 keeping with local regulations.
Handling squatters can be drawn-out and resource-intensive. To inhibit this, proactive management is the primary key. At Real Property Management Sterling, we favorably attend to tenant move-outs and straight away fill vacancies. An occupied rental property is both prospering and free from squatters. For more pertinent details referring to our property management services in Colchester, please contact us online or call 802-861-6468.
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.
