As housing prices continue to rise along with unemployment, another epidemic is on the rise: squatters. Driven by a recent spike in housing costs, court backlogs, and relatively low penalties for trespassing, home and property owners nationwide now see preventing squatting as a necessity.
According to the National Rental Home Council, squatting has increased by an average of 862% since 2021 (1). The sharpest incline was in Atlanta, which jumped from 17 squatting cases to 198 from 2022 to 2023. There has been a recent downward trend, where states have adopted bills that treat squatting as a felony, accompanied by market-rate rental fines and possible jail time. As more states are looking at implemening legal action, it’s important that homeowners can prepare and prevent squatting before it starts.
When faced with eviction, squatters often produce a fake lease, which delays the process of removing them. This can often be a costly expense for the homeowner, who has other plans for their property than having squatters illegally occupy it.
Many courts still classify squatting as a civil matter, which can take up to 8 months for eviction and in some cases, cost the homeowner thousands of dollars in court fees as well as additional funds to repair the property after the squatters have vacated the home.
With the rise in squatters occupying residential properties, it’s important to take proper precautions to ensure your house is adequately protected from trespassers while you’re traveling. Here are some things you can do to protect your house from illegal invaders:
Make the property look inhabited
A house that looks like someone currently lives there will deter criminals. When you’re away, have a friend or neighbor come to check on the house, turn on different lights, take the trash to the curb or perform other small tasks to make it less obvious that you’re not at home (2).
Inform local law enforcement about your property’s vacancy.
If you’re selling your house, moving before occupation, or traveling for an extended period, you can call your local police to let them know you’re planning to leave your house unoccupied for a period of time. This way, if squatters move in while you’re gone and produce a fake lease, you can reference the call and have them evicted more expeditiously (3).
Get a security system
The #1 deterrent to squatters is an armed security system with both indoor and outdoor cameras as well as motion, window, door and glass break sensors. When you have video evidence of trespassing and illegal entry, it makes evicting squatters a simple and easy process. You simply show the police the video clip of them illegally entering the house, and the police remove the squatter. Having a security company professionally monitor your system, which can immediately notify you of a break-in, and notify the proper authorities, is essential when it comes to protecting your home and property (3).
Luckily, our Essentials Pro Package includes everything you need to protect your property. We take homeowner safety and security seriously, and while you may be on vacation or moving, we will be here protecting your investment all day every day.
Have questions about our systems and service? Give us a call. We’ll make sure you have everything in place to secure your house from top to bottom
- National Rental Home Council https://www.texaspolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-05-Testimony-SquattingInterimCharge-Quintero_FINAL.pdf
- Squatting Prevention https://www.reliableroofing.com/blog/squatting-laws
- 7 ways to prevent squatters from taking your property https://marketplacehomes.com/blog/real-estate-trends/how-to-prevent-squatters-from-taking-your-property/
