Vacant rental homes can swiftly become a source of immense distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found straight away, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces may, without question, look like an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters attempting to find shelter. Without excellent oversight, what was once a vibrant home can spiral into a forsaken shell, luring trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting alludes to the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. In other words, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can further indicate former tenants who reside 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 seriously hard to lease to new tenants. To victoriously prevent squatters, it is pertinent to secure your property. If you do not dwell near your rental home, evaluate 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 silently permit 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 tricky.
Another potential issue crops up if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In numerous areas, doing so can establish legal residency, even though the squatter occupies your property without your permission. If this happens, the police may, unquestionably, classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the succeeding step is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Just merely providing this notice can typically encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. But, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will, in turn, set off formal eviction proceedings.
How long this process will be can vary depending on the efficacy of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. As soon as you have a judgment in your favor from the court, you can properly enlist the local sheriff or police to remove the squatter on your behalf.
What to do with a squatter’s leftover property?
If, in any case, you have successfully evicted your squatters, it would be wise for you to sort out any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left freely or were involuntarily removed, it’s natural for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps are according to the laws in your area. In most states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. Still, in other places, you could understandably be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and refund you for the storage fees, you may have the right to auction off the items or dispose of them in line with local regulations.
Handling squatters can be labor-consuming and resource-intensive. To get away from this, proactive management is the essential key. At Real Property Management Principles, we profitably work on tenant move-outs and rapidly fill vacancies. An occupied rental property is both gainful and free from squatters. For more invaluable details on our property management services in Smithville, please contact us online or call 816-890-9800.
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.
