Vacant rental homes can swiftly become a source of deep distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found at once, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces may be like an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters directly after shelter. Without excellent oversight, what was once a vibrant home can completely spiral into an uncared-for shell, causing trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting signifies the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. In evident terms, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can likewise involve 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 difficult and toilsome to lease to new tenants. To efficiently and appropriately prevent squatters, it is important to secure your property. If you do not have your residence near your rental home, assess 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 leave 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 difficult.
Another potential issue comes if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In a few areas, doing so can establish legal residency, while it is a matter of fact that the squatter occupies your property without your permission. If this certainly occurs, the police may classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the next leg of the process is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Just simply providing this notice can typically encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. Nonetheless, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will kick off formal eviction proceedings.
The duration of this process can vary depending on the efficiency of the court system in your state, which may take from two weeks to several months. If you win 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?
Eventually, when you have successfully evicted your squatters, it’s necessary to manage any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left on their preference or were firmly and forcefully removed, it’s typically normal for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps rest on the laws in your area. In several states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. But, on the other hand, in other places, you will most likely be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and pay you back for the storage fees, you may have the right to auction off the items or dispose of them according to local regulations.
Handling squatters can be labor-intensive and resource-intensive. To keep off from this, proactive management is the vital key. At Real Property Management Pioneer, we proficiently administer tenant move-outs and without delay fill vacancies. An occupied rental property is both flourishingly profitable and free from squatters. For more important details with regard to our property management services in Lewisville, please contact us online or call 940-435-2526.
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.
