What is squatting?
Squatting talks of the unlawful occupation of an uninhabited building or unused land. In brief, for homeowners, a squatter is someone who occupies your property without your permission. This situation can furthermore include former tenants who live 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 complicated to lease to new tenants. To favorably prevent squatters, it is vital to secure your property. If you do not reside near your rental home, think about 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 remain silent while a squatter tries to settle, 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 burdensome.
Another potential issue transpires if a squatter manages to turn on utilities at the property in their name. In numerous areas, doing so can establish legal residency, while it is true that the squatter occupies your property without your permission. If this comes about, the police may immediately classify the situation as civil rather than criminal.
If the police cannot assist you, the next phase is to serve the unlawful occupant with an eviction notice. Simply providing this notice can conventionally encourage the squatter to move out voluntarily. Even so, if they refuse to leave, you may need to file an unlawful detainer lawsuit, which will open formal eviction proceedings.
How long this process can go does vary depending on the effectiveness of the court system in your state, taking anywhere from two weeks to several months. If ever you secure a judgment in your favor from the court, you can now enlist the local sheriff or police to remove the squatter on your behalf.
What to do with a squatter’s leftover property?
When you have successfully evicted your squatters, you have to deal with any personal property they may have left behind. Whether they left willingly or were unwillingly removed, it’s normal for them to abandon some belongings.
The following steps are based on the laws in your area. In quite a few states, you may dispose of these items without consequence. But, in reality, in other places, you can be required to store their belongings in a storage unit at your own expense. If the squatters do not claim their property and repay you for the storage fees, you may have the right to auction off the items or dispose of them in line with local regulations.
Handling squatters can be troublesome and resource-intensive. To dodge this, proactive management is the significant key. At Real Property Management Tulsa, we effortlessly deal with tenant move-outs and briskly fill vacancies. An occupied rental property is both victoriously profitable and free from squatters. For more important details on our property management services in Jenks, please contact us online or call 918-532-7020.