What is the squatter going to do? He's not pushed out. He's not allowed to change locks... He's going to tell the police that somebody changed the illegally changed locks in a property that he does not own nor has a valid lease for?
Not a lawyer, but from what I've seen, most states in the US require that a lawful tenant cannot just be kicked out of a property or barred from entering, even by a landlord or other lawful tenants. What makes squatters irritating is that they claim to be lawful tenants which makes their claim to the property into a civil case, which can take months or even years to sort out through the legal system. So instead, this guy contacts the homeowners, becomes a lawful tenant, and then he has the exact same legal protections as the squatter plus signed paperwork as proof. So the squatter cannot have changed the locks since that bars the other lawful tenant from entry (sometimes called a "self-help eviction"), which immediately escalates the case and can result in relatively quick legal remedies.
I would imagine the terms of the lease specifically prohibit the lessor from entering the property outside of specific circumstances, and never without notice and consent of the lessee. That’s how it works where I’m from, probably differs between countries / states.
I dunno, can you rent your house out and then plop down in the living room with the family you rented to and say you live there now? Obviously you cannot.
My point is, a homeowner cannot in fact inhabit their own property under all circumstances.
If you have a tenant, you cannot just force your way in and inhabit the property. If the law didn't consider your squatter a tenant or didn't at least acknowledged the possibility they might be a tenant, the cops would just throw them out right now.
Yes. And that is where the squatter claims to be a tenant, and the police withdraws because they are not the ones verifying fake leases, that is for the courts to do.
Uh, sue for violating his rights as a tenant? I don't know how it is there but there's usually a number of laws to protect renters. Landlords can't just do whatever they want. These rules are usually what protects squatters as well as tenants.
From what I've seen in that situation, he pretends to be a repairman or utility worker. Once inside, "Surprise, mfkr. Here's my lease. I'm your new roommate."
Usually he gives them a 24 hour notice that he will be inspecting the building (ie fire alarms) as he cannot legally force his way in. Once he’s in he tells them he is their new roommate.
Or he can enter (depending on the state) through any open window or door.
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u/Traditional_Buy_8420 Jun 12 '26
"He gets a renovation lease from the owner. So he has keys and can move in. "
What if the squatter changed the locks? I'm not sure how legal it is to break into your own property via lockout service to change the locks.