What To Know About Squatting and What You Can Do To Keep Your Home Safe

Becoming Squatters, How Life Can Suddenly Change — (Photo : Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) SEVILLE, SPAIN - JUNE 01: Thirty-three year old Vanessa Arias Fernandez (L), who were evicted from her home together with her family, sits in the living room with her children, seven-year-old Yeray and her five-year-old twins Kiomara and Tatiana, lit by the yellow street lights, at her apartment, which is part of a complex occupied by the Corrala Utopia community on June 1, 2013 in Seville, Spain.In 2010 Spanish banks foreclosed more than 100,000 households which contributed to the already large number of empty houses. With as many as one million properties unsold, victims of Spain's financial crisis, struggling to keep a roof over their head due to high levels of unemployment and severe cuts to social welfare, have turned to squatting in the empty buildings. The Corrala Utopia is a community, on a steadily growing list of communities all over Spain, living in squatted buildings. In this case the building stood empty for three years before the squatters moved in almost a year ago. The community houses a total of 36 families including almost 40 children. The families are cut off from water and electricity and live with an uncertain future and the fear of being evicted soon again. For the first time in history over 6 million Spaniards are jobless in Spain, the euro zone's fourth-biggest economy.

In recent weeks, headlines have covered numerous incidents where "squatters" are invading the homes of Americans in multiple states, spurring legislative actions in at least four states.

Last month, a New York City homeowner was arrested after she changed the locks on a $1 million home she inherited from her parents in an attempt to remove a group of squatters. Earlier this week, another group of squatters reportedly sued the rightful owners of a $930,000 investment home they took over.

But despite making headlines and spurring a national conversation about "squatting," experts say the practice remains "extremely rare," so much so that there are no reliable data available on the actual number of squatters around the country, per The Washington Post.

To keep homeowners protected, here's everything to know about squatting.

What Is a Squatter?

The word "squatter" refers to an individual who goes into a property despite not having any legal right to it. Squatting is a form of trespassing. However, squatters aim to claim ownership of the property or permanent residency.

What Is Squatters Rights?

Squatters Rights, also called Adverse Possession, refers to the rights a squatter could gain if they occupy a property for a certain period without the true owner or landlord taking legal action against them.

Each state has its own laws on squatters rights and the length of time an individual would need to reside on the property to claim it. In Florida, a squatter must have lived in the property for at least seven years for an adverse possession claim to be valid. In New York, however, a squatter can obtain tenant rights if they have been living in a home for 30 days.

How Do You Remove Squatters From Your Property?

In some states, police officers may arrest squatters for trespassing if they are unable to provide any proof showing they are legally allowed to occupy a property. However, they cannot remove squatters directly based on the property owner's request. Homeowners or property owners are required to go through a formal eviction process in court. The eviction process can take between three to six weeks and may cost homeowners $600 to $800 on average.

Since squatting made national headlines, several states such as Florida and New York have introduced new bills to speed up the process of removing squatters from properties.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that gives local sheriffs the power to quickly remove people illegally living on a property. The bill could also lead to second-degree felony charges. That bill takes effect July 1.

In New York, state assemblyman Jake Blumencraz filed a bill that would prevent squatters from receiving tenant rights and extend the time they need to stay on a property from 30 to 45 days before they can claim rights.