Here is what you need to know about squatters or illegal occupants.
How Squatters Get Access & Ways to Prevent Them
Who are Illegal Occupants?
People living on your property without your consent are considered illegal occupations. However, you cannot remove illegal occupants from your property using force. Because according to the adverse possession law, squatters have rights, and to remove them from your property, you’ll have to evict them. Unfortunately, if you don’t take measures quickly, there is a risk that you’ll lose your real estate to the squatters.
3 Ways Squatters or Illegal Occupants Can Gain Access to Your Property
1. Vacant Property
Vacant properties are always at risk of getting occupied by the squatters. Squatters or illegal occupants always look for vacant properties where the owner doesn’t visit frequently. Besides, these illegal occupants know how to use fake agreements and trick the utility company into turning on the utilities again.
2. Through Tenant
There are two ways squatters can occupy your property through tenants - not leaving the house after lease expiration and becoming a subtenant.
When a tenant wants to occupy your property illegally, they will move from the property right before the lease expiration to avoid inspections. And when the inspections are done, they will again come back to your property and start living again.
Again, as your tenant has lived in your property for months, they can figure out a way to turn on the utilities by using fake agreements and papers.
3. Victims of Rental Frauds
Housing or rental scams are common in the US. In rental scams, a person will impersonate you and rent your property. For this, they make fake papers and sign fake agreements with the tenant. And as soon as they receive the first rental fees, they disappear.
Unlike the previous squatters, this type of illegal occupant lives in your property unintentionally. If you’re lucky, the tenant will leave your property when they realize they’ve been scammed.
How to Prevent Illegal Occupants or Squatters to Settle
1. Visit Your Property Frequently
You can visit your property once a month to prevent illegal occupants getting access to your rentals. However, if you have multiple rental properties, you can have someone else visit your properties and submit reports to you.
2. Maintain a Good Relationship with the Neighbors
If you maintain a good relationship with your neighbors, they will look after your property. And as soon as they find out that there are illegal occupants on your property, they will notify you immediately, which will allow you to take action immediately.
3. Don’t Keep Your Property Vacant for a Long Time
As soon as your tenant moves out of your property, you should list your real estate on the rental platforms and find new tenants. Because when the property is vacant for a long time, it becomes a target for the squatters.
Conclusion
Removing squatters from your property requires a lot of time and courtroom battles. That’s why it’s advised to follow all the measures to keep the squatters away from your real estate.
