Vacant rental homes can briskly become a source of major distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found straight off, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces may be similar to an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters hunting for shelter. Without more fitting oversight, what was once a vibrant home can swiftly spiral into a beat-up shell, inciting trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting relates to the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. In simpler terms, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can similarly involve former tenants who linger 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 exhausting to lease to new tenants. To properly prevent squatters, it is best to secure your property. If you are not always near your rental home, give thought to 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 tolerate a squatter to 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 more toilsome.
Another potential issue emanates if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In most areas, doing so can establish legal residency, notwithstanding the squatter who occupies your property without your permission. If this springs up, the police may classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the appropriate next move is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Just simply providing this notice can oftentimes encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. But, really, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will set up formal eviction proceedings.
The duration of this process can vary depending on the capacity of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. If you receive a judgment in your favor from the court, you can, without hassle, 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 have to find a solution to any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left unprompted or were removed under compulsion, it’s acceptable for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps bank on the laws in your area. In certain states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. Nevertheless, in other places, you would be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and give you payment for the storage fees, you may have the right to auction off the items or dispose of them as established by local regulations.
Handling squatters can be time and resource-intensive. To properly prevent this, proactive management is the central key. At Real Property Management Associates, we expertly monitor tenant move-outs and promptly fill vacancies. An occupied rental property is both victoriously profitable and free from squatters. For more essential details on the subject of our property management services in Quincy, please contact us online or call 508-509-4485.
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.
