Vacant rental homes can hastily become a source of great sorrow and distress. When a tenant moves out and no new occupant is found as quickly as possible, these empty properties can attract unwanted attention. The empty spaces may definitely look like an inviting opportunity for trespassers and squatters to find shelter. Without proper oversight, what was once a vibrant home can quickly spiral into an overlooked shell, fostering trouble and anxiety for landlords.
What is squatting?
Squatting relates to the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. That is to say, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can additionally pertain to former tenants who inhabit the property without paying rent after their lease has expired or been terminated.
Unlawful occupants can negatively impact your rental property and make it tiringly difficult to lease to new tenants. To easily prevent squatters, it is vital to secure your property. If you do not live near your rental home, take on 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 do not do something about a squatter who stays, 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 tougher and more difficult.
Another potential issue springs up if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In innumerable areas, doing so can establish legal residency, since the squatter occupies your property without your permission. If this actually happens, the police may, without question, classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the subsequent step is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Merely providing this notice can normally encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. Yet, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will introduce formal eviction proceedings.
The time period for this process can vary depending on the proficiency of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. Eventually, when you attain 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?
If you have successfully evicted your squatters, you should consider handling any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left by choice or were strongly removed, it’s usual for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps are per the laws in your area. In numerous states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. Nevertheless, in other places, you will possibly be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and recompense you 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 tedious and resource-intensive. To successfully prevent this, proactive management is the crucial key. At Real Property Management Instant Equity, we competently take care of tenant move-outs and fill vacancies at once. An occupied rental property is both immensely profitable and free from squatters. For more important details with regards to our property management services in Mount Pleasant, please contact us online or call 843-898-5743.
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