Squatters Rights Axed

[Geordie Stu]

Squatters who take up residence in property that does not belong to them now face prison or a fine following the scrapping of squatters' rights.

A new law comes in on Saturday for England and Wales making it an offence for squatters to enter or occupy an abandoned or empty property without the owner's permission.

The introduction of the offence - which will carry a maximum sentence of up to six months in jail for persistent offenders, a £5,000 fine or both - follows a Government consultation on the issue last summer.

Ministers said the move would shut the door on squatters once and for all and help protect homeowners.

I personally agree been far too long that Squatters take up residence in unoccupied property & then the Landlord has the expense trying to evict them. It's difficult to prove that they have entered illegally "Breaking & Entering".

They then avoid paying rent, property tax, fuel bills...etc.

[Kevinb]

£5000 fine. They will have time to save up if they aren't paying rent, council tax, etc..

Ideal solution. Gun to the head. Pull trigger. Job done. Only cost is the bullet.

[Dan505]

finally some sense at last....squatters still end up with what they want tho....a place to stay paid for at our expense, even if it is only a 6 x 4 box

[A13X4ND7A]

Saw this on the news this morning.

I think that squatters shouldn't have any rights in taking up residence in a property that does not belong to them but I do wonder how they would possibly pay any fine (especially if they are homeless/jobless etc) and aren't our prisons over crowded as it is?

Had to laugh when some women was defending squatters saying "oh but these buildings are abandoned anyway"... just because something isn't in use by whoever owns it doesn't mean anyone else should be able to do what they like with it... if they want it, go work and buy themselves a derelict building.

[Wes]

Good sense prevails at last, for once

[redken1]

Worth noting that the civil law was already in place to remove squatters. By changing it to a criminal offence it transfers the financial burden of removal from the property owner on to the taxpayer.

The vast majority of squatters are homeless and have taken up residence in empty buildings in our cities, of which many are owned by wealthy business men/women sitting on an investment.

The cost of evicting everyone who currently lives in a squat could reach £790m if they instead started claiming housing benefits, according to a report commissioned by Squatters Action for Secure Housing (Squash).

Of course, this figure doesn’t take in to account the legal cost of removal to the taxpayer and subsequent hotel bill at HMPs for those squatters who decide that 3 hot meals a day is a favourable option to sleeping on the streets.

And with the number of homeless people in England alone having reached 50,000 - up 14% since 2010-11 and 26% since 2009-10 - it might well be the case that squats and other temporary accommodation help disguise the true extent of the problem, according to Leslie Morphy, chief executive of homeless charity Crisis.
"These figures are just the tip of the iceberg," she says.

[Mitch9128]

Squatters 'rights', note the word 'rights'. Just another erosion of rights, besides the bankers and wealthy tories don't want dirty homeless people in one of their portfolio.

[Swanny]

I don't see this as being a good thing. I wonder what happens as this recession deepens and more people find themselves homeless??
I'm sure some of you here actually believe the government is working for your best interests ;D

[redken1]

And some people still think the Paralympics’ main sponsor really cares about the disabled.

Personally, I don’t think they give ‘ATOS’

:-?

[voodoo]

they seem to have forgotten about (ignored) those who don't vacate after their rental contract expires though. they've left that one squarely at the foot of the landlords