Georgia is one of the states that has seen an increase in squatter lawsuits in recent years, according to the report.
A report from the Pacific Legal Foundation said there has been an upward trend in the number of squatter cases going to court since 2019. The number of such cases in Georgia increased from three in 2017 to 50 in 2021.
There were 198 civil lawsuits related to squatters in the Peach State in 2023, according to the report.
Additionally, a 2023 study by the National Rental Housing Council (NRHC) found that Atlanta had the most squatter-occupied housing, at 1,200, followed by Dallas with 475 and Orlando with 125.
According to the report, Georgia has seen a sharp increase in the number of squatter cases coming to court in recent years. (iStock)
Expert advice on protecting your home from squatters
To gather the data reported by the Pacific Legal Foundation, Kyle Sweetland, property rights research manager at the Public Interest Law Firm, looked for states that had a “centralized recording system” for squatter cases and found that Georgia had that information.
“Georgia has specific laws about squatters, and I was actually able to look into these cases and confirm that they were, in fact, squatter-related cases,” Sweetland told Fox News Digital, explaining that for other cases, he was able to keyword search the case descriptions themselves.
“I think that’s a very rough estimate, but it gives an accurate estimate of what kind of lawsuits are being filed about squatters at a broader level in these states.”
Alabama real estate agent shocked when squatter greets her and potential buyers during home viewing
The report collected data from only 25 of Georgia’s 159 counties.
In many states, evicting squatters from your home is a long and expensive process. (iStock)
The reason for the sudden increase in squatting in the state is unclear, but there are several theories.
“One thing mentioned is [as] “The backlog in the civil court system that squatters are using is due to the 2020 eviction ban,” Sweetland said. Under Georgia’s previous law, the ban protected not only lawful tenants, but squatters as well, Sweetland explained.
A Florida landlord evicted squatters a year ago, and her story led to the passage of legislation to protect homeowners.
Another theory Sweetland cited for the rise in squatting is rising rents and home prices following the 2020 moratorium.
Many states, including Georgia, have passed laws that take rights away from squatters and give them back to homeowners.
These laws, such as the Georgia Squatting Reform Act enacted by Governor Brian Kemp, drastically reduced the time it took to remove squatters from their homes, a process that (as it still is in many states) could take months or even years.
States like Georgia have laws banning squatting, making it easier for homeowners to evict squatters. (iStock)
“It’s insane that someone would think they could break into someone else’s home and take over. It’s absolutely outrageous,” Kemp said on “Fox & Friends” before the bill passed.
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Since the law was passed, many more squatter cases are likely to go to court in the state.
“Now that it’s a lot quicker and a lot easier, we might see more people taking that route to try to remove squatters,” Sweetland said.
If you are a homeowner who has squatters living on your property, you should call a real estate attorney.
Jerron Kelly, a partner at Kelly & Grant law firm in Boca Raton, Florida, previously told Fox News Digital that even though squatters don’t fall under the landlord-tenant relationship, a real estate lawyer will have the deepest knowledge of the law and the expertise needed to handle your specific situation.
