FAQ

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Is there a difference between a residential and non-residential building?

Squatting in residential buildings (like a house or flat) is illegal. It can lead to 6 months in prison, a £5,000 fine or
both. Although squatting in non-­‐residential building or land is not in itself a crime, it’s a crime to damage the property.

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What about business premises?

A non-­‐residential property is any building or land that is not designed to be lived in.

Simply being on another person’s non-­‐residential property without their permission is not usually a crime. Thepolice can take action if squatters commit other crimes when entering or staying in a property.

Crimes include:

  • causing damage when entering the property;
  • causing damage while in the property;
  • not leaving when they’re told to by a court;
  • stealing from the property;
  • using utilities like electricity or gas without permission;
  • fly-­‐tipping;
  • not obeying a noise abatement notice.
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I left for a 2 month trip. On coming back, I discovered that my apartment has been squatted in. What could I do?

If someone is squatting a residential property, he/she can be easily evicted and arrested. Report squatters.

At First, call the police.

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The house neighbouring mine is squatted-in. There is a huge volume of nuisances. We do not know anything about the owner. What can I do?

Call upon Squat Solutions. We will find the homeowner of the squatted house and offer to buy it to resolve the squatting dilemma as quickly as possible. Contact us.

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My secondary residence has been squatted in. Can I evict the squatters myself?

A squatter can be easily evicted if:

  • the police are not willing to carry out an arrest;
  • the property owner does not want to involve the police;
  • you are living in commercial premises.

The owner can enter and change the locks while the squatters are all out.

If a squatter is in the property, the owner must normally get a court order if the squatter refuses to leave. It is illegal for the owner to use or threaten violence against a squatter.

The owner must post a copy of their possession claim forms through the letterbox or attach it to the front door at least 5 days before the court hearing (or 2 days if you are squatting in a commercial property).

These must include a defence form and details of the time and place of the court hearing.

If the squatter is qualified as such by the court, the court will normally order him/her to leave the property immediately.

If the squatter does not leave, the owner must ask the court bailiffs to evict him/her.

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At what price does Squat Solutions buy squatted-in houses or apartments?

The evaluation is done by 3 real estate agencies. It involves establishing a sales price independent of the squatting and the defacements caused by it. At the same time, we execute all the real estate diagnostic tests required for the sale of a property.

In addition, we also get craftsmen to evaluate the cost of works for the refurbishment of the lodging. To this cost, we add our evaluation of the time needed for cleaning and evacuation which would have to be done before the works start. Lastly, we evaluate the cost and the duration of the eviction procedure. All these elements allow us to calculate the purchase price that we offer to the owner of the squatted-in property. Learn more about the purchase of squatted-in property

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My house is squatted-in, can I cut the electricity supply?

We strongly advise against it. We regularly buy houses which had caught fire after a theft of electricity.

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After eviction, do the squatters usually come back?

Normally, no; frequently, yes. If it is not the evicted squatter, then it is often his friends. We had a case in which the owner saw his apartment squatted in 3 times in succession by the same squatter. And this was despite the installation of an anti-squatter door. So it was necessary to carry out the eviction procedures 3 times.

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Is it necessary to wall off the outbuildings of my squatted house?

From experience, this doesn’t really help much. Once you are absent, squatters will break the rubble-work. It is ideal to wall and panel over openings if your outbuilding has any entryway other than that of your house.