Vacant rental homes can bring about a lot of problems for you as the property owner. Once your tenant moves out, and no one rents the place as soon as they leave, then those vacant rooms will look charming to trespassers and squatters. By definition, a squatter is a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land. In simple terms for homeowners, a squatter is someone living on your property who never had your permission in the first place. There are even some instances where a former tenant who chooses to stay on the property despite not paying rent after their lease has expired or been terminated.
These unlawful occupants are never good news for your Slaton rental property. It hinders your ability to lease it to new renters as well as would give you unnecessary stress. The best way to dodge squatters is to keep your property secure and, in case you live far from your rental home, have a property management company check on the place on a regular basis.
Act as soon as possible when you discover a squatter and call the authorities. The longer you let a squatter occupy your property, the more difficult it will be to evict them because the courts will rule that you gave your permission when you hesitate and take your hesitation to evict as a sign of consent. One other likely possibility that could happen is if the squatter has had the utilities at that address in their name. Some places recognize such an act as it establishes residency, although the squatter is effectively seizing your property. If in case that happens, the police will then view the situation as civil and no longer a criminal matter.
If for some reason the police won’t be of any help, your next solutions would be to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Oftentimes, simply giving notice might make the squatter leave. If in case they don’t, however, there may be a need for you to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will start formal eviction proceedings. Depending on the speed of the court system in your area, this could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months. But once you have a judgment in your favor from the court, you can hire the local sheriff or police officer to remove the squatter for you.
After you have successfully evicted your squatters, there is a need for you to deal with their abandoned personal property. Whether they leave willingly or have been removed forcibly, they may neglect their belongings behind. Depending on where the rental home is located, you may be able to throw these items away. Nevertheless, in some places, you may need to place the items in a warehouse unit at your account. If the squatter doesn’t pay the storage fees and claim their property, then you have the right to auction it off or dispose of it following what the law states are in your area.
Dealing with squatters can be a long, arduous process, taking up your invaluable time and resources. This is why proactive prevention is the optimum approach to unlawful occupants. At Real Property Management Services, we skillfully manage the move-out process when tenants leave and fill vacancies quickly. After all, an occupied rental house is a profitable, squatter-free rental house. For more information about our Slaton property management services, contact us online or call us at 806-853-6546 today.
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.
