Vacant rental homes can immediately become a source of considerable distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found right off, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces may, doubtless, look like an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters trying to get shelter. Without precise oversight, what was once a vibrant home can swiftly spiral into a forgotten shell, inducing trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting pertains to the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. In lay terms, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can furthermore involve former tenants who live on in the property without paying rent after their lease has expired or been terminated.
Unlawful occupants can negatively impact your rental property and make it unmanageable and so difficult to lease to new tenants. To satisfyingly prevent squatters, it is imperative to secure your property. If you are not living near your rental home, look to hire 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 entitle a squatter to reside, 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 complicated.
Another potential issue appears if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In lots of areas, doing so can establish legal residency, even as the squatter occupies your property without your permission. If this certainly happens, the police may classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the next step is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Just simply providing this notice can normally encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. Notwithstanding, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will set off formal eviction proceedings.
How long this process will last can vary depending on the efficiency of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. Eventually, when you get hold of a judgment in your favor from the court, you can very easily enlist the local sheriff or police to remove the squatter on your behalf.
What to do with a squatter’s leftover property?
If, in fact, you have successfully evicted your squatters, you should carefully consider clearing up any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left on their own accord or were mightily removed, it’s sensible for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps are pending on the laws in your area. In countless states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. Even so, in other places, you will plausibly be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and make amends with you for the storage fees, you may have the right to auction off the items or dispose of them in obedience to local regulations.
Handling squatters can take considerable time and resource-intensive. To keep away from this, proactive management is key. At Real Property Management Qualified, we competently take charge of tenant move-outs and speedily fill vacancies. An occupied rental property is both profitably wealthy and free from squatters. For more pertinent details in terms of our property management services in Fort Myers, please contact us online or call 239-344-9842.
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.
