How to reduce the risk of squatters moving into your vacant property

Landlords can save themselves time, money and hassle by taking measures to protect their vacant properties from squatters.

Finding that squatters have moved into a vacant property is a common but worrying problem for landlords.

Whilst squatting is not illegal, many squatters break the law by damaging the property to gain entry.

Dealing with squatters once they have moved into a property can be complicated, so the best course of action is to take preventative measures to avoid them entering the building in the first place.

Where possible, always minimise the amount of time that your property is left vacant. For any periods where it is unavoidable, take the following measures to reduce the risk of squatters entering your property.

Tips to prevent squatters moving in:

Put lights on a timer– It may go unnoticed that your property is empty if you leave signs that someone is home. Leave the lights on a timer to give the impression that someone is still using the property and visit it regularly to pick up the post and maintain the outside of the property.

Use an alarm system– Install an alarm system in the property and clearly advertise that one is present. Sometimes the fact that an alarm is present is enough to put squatters off trying to enter, and if anyone does break in, you’ll be alerted immediately before too much damage is caused.

Use steel doors and screens– If you know that your property is likely to be vacant for some time, then physical barriers should be installed to prevent forced entry. Steel doors and screens are quick to install and provide effective protection from forced entry.

If you need help securing a vacant property or removing squatters, give the team at Clearway a call.