Simply put, a squatter is someone who occupies property that they do not own.
Disputes between squatters and homeowners can be lengthy and costly depending on the state in which the issue arises.
Many states, such as Florida, have laws to quickly evict squatters from their homes, but the majority of the U.S. does not enforce such laws.
States across the U.S. have begun signing bills to protect homeowners from squatters, with Florida, led by Governor Ron DeSantis, at the forefront of the effort. (Governor Ron DeSantis/FB)
A Florida landlord evicted squatters a year ago, and her story led to the passage of legislation to protect homeowners.
The most common and widely known type of squatting occurs when a homeless person finds an abandoned or foreclosed property and moves in. However, this is not the only type of squatting that can occur.
As a homeowner, it is very important to take steps to protect yourself from squatters. Make sure you understand the different types of squatters you may encounter.
- Homeless people living in ruins
- Tenants who don’t pay rent and refuse to move out
- “Professional squatters”
1. Homeless people living in ruins
Squatters are often thought of as people who are homeless and looking for shelter.
They may find this refuge in abandoned homes, foreclosed properties, or properties in the process of being sold.
If you’re in the process of selling your home, it’s important to keep an eye on the condition of your home, even if you’ve already moved out.
These states should beware of squatters, who can occupy land for up to 10 years without a deed or paying taxes.
“My advice to homeowners would be, if you’re moving out of state and your home is going to be sold after you move, or if you’re a distant relative and the family home is going through probate, have someone keep a close eye on the property on a regular basis,” Courtney Hartsfield, a real estate agent with Madison, Alabama-based Horizon Realty’s Tyler Hughes Realty Group, told Fox News Digital after encountering squatters at a home she was showing a client. She stressed that these types of homes are “easy targets.”
While many squatters are homeless people looking for a place to live, this isn’t always the case. (iStock)
2. Tenants who don’t pay rent and refuse to move out
Another squatter situation is when a tenant stops paying rent and then Refuse to leave the premises.
One way people do this is through fraud, according to Daniel Phillips, a real estate litigation partner at the law firm Belkin Baden & Goldman, who previously spoke to Fox News Digital.
He previously revealed that squatters sometimes fraudulently rent out rooms under false identities – often they pay a deposit and the first month’s rent, then stop paying altogether.
Handyman turned squatter hunter describes ‘nightmare scenario’ when immigrants wake up to housing laws
“It’s a very lengthy process,” Phillips previously told Fox News Digital. “It’s certainly a burden on smaller landlords who are trying to collect rent or pay a mortgage. You have someone living there who’s not paying rent, and you have to go through the court process, which is time-consuming, and you have to hire a lawyer to evict that person.”
Phillips said the key for landlords to protect themselves from situations like this is to thoroughly vet prospective tenants and monitor the property via video, a property manager or by having someone check in from time to time.
In many states, removing squatters from land is a lengthy and costly legal process. (iStock)
There are even more unique instances homeowners have experienced where they hire individuals to utilize them.
For example, Judith Matthews and Abram Mendez alleged in an April interview on “Fox & Friends” that they hired a contractor to do tile work on their San Antonio home, but after they fired him, the contractor refused to leave the house.
The couple explained that her husband is reportedly still in the house and that they have been forced into a major legal battle to get him out.
Florida and other states sign bills to protect homeowners from squatters
“We have no protection. [Florida] Governor [Ron] “DeSantis is making progress, but we need to make more progress across America to protect us homeowners, because there is very little,” Mendez told Ainsley Earhart. “I think this is a money-making ploy for municipalities across America.”
According to the couple, the contractor asked if he could be on the property while work was being done on the house, and they complied and prepared a contract for the contractor to sign.
The contractor was fired after giving one excuse after another for why he couldn’t finish the job, but he refused to quit.
Mendez explained that he recorded the person signing the contract on his cell phone, but the squatters later stole his phone and deleted the video evidence.
In some cases, people who rent out a property for a short period of time, such as for a holiday, may end up becoming squatters when their stay expires.
A similar case occurred in Pennsylvania, where landlord Joseph Foresta sued Airbnb in March 2023, alleging that someone had rented out his home for a night and then illegally occupied it.
3. “Professional squatters”
As stories about squatters have emerged across the country, the term “professional squatter” has come to be used to describe individuals who move from property to property, taking advantage of landlords and vacant properties.
Darsula Young, a Chicago woman, previously spoke to Fox News Digital about the professional squatters she’s encountered.
“He told me he’s a professional squatter. He knows his rights and he’s not going to leave,” Young told Jesse Watters in March 2023.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“Based on the fact that they had been living there for a year and hadn’t paid rent or water and had caused other damages to the building, I’d say they had stolen utilities,” she previously told Fox News Digital. “I’ve filed a police report seeking probably about $25,000 in damages.”
One easy way to keep an eye on your property when you’re away is to install security cameras. (iStock)
Again, one of the best ways to protect yourself from this is to be diligent.
“If you’re going to leave this house, you absolutely need to monitor the house — security cameras, alarm system, neighbors — because if someone moves in and nobody says anything, and if that’s even possible, they’re going to go under the radar, and that’s when the problems start,” Texas real estate agent George Huntoon told Fox News Digital.
Also, make friends with neighbors who will watch over your property when you’re not around. Not knowing who your neighbors are is a very common situation today, but it’s one of the reasons why the pesky squatter problem Huntoon pointed out arises.
