Vacant rental homes can abruptly become a source of great displeasure and distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found very quickly, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces may appear like an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters looking for shelter. Without the most suitable oversight, what was once a vibrant home can spiral into a forgotten shell, alluring trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting points to the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. Briefly, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can equally cover former tenants who stay 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 arduous and difficult to lease to new tenants. To competently prevent squatters, it is necessary to secure your property. If you do not actually live near your rental home, check about 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 let a squatter stay and abide there, 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 unmanageable.
Another potential issue ensues 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 while 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 following step is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Merely providing this notice can usually encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. With that said, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will get in motion formal eviction proceedings.
The duration of this process can vary depending on the competence and efficiency of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. Assuming you acquire a judgment in your favor from the court, you can enlist the local sheriff or police to remove the squatter on your behalf.
What to do with a squatter’s leftover property?
In the event that you have successfully evicted your squatters, you ought to resolve any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left intentionally or were powerfully and forcefully removed, it’s typical for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps are determined by the laws in your area. In multiple states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. But, on the other hand, in other places, you will probably be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and compensate you for the storage fees, you may have the right to auction off the items or dispose of them in accordance with local regulations.
Handling squatters can be drawn-out and resource-intensive. To shun this, proactive management is vital. At Real Property Management VA Peninsula, we competently tackle tenant move-outs and immediately fill vacancies. An occupied rental property is both greatly profitable, and free from squatters. For more details in connection with our property management services in Newport News, please contact us online or call 757-251-9188.
Originally Published on November 16, 2018
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.
