empty property if broken in to by squatters

[RICK]

Appreciate some advice on the above scenario, if you leave a property empty while away for a period say year or so and squatters break in. How quickly/easily can they be removed from the property?

Is it better from a legal point of view to ensure the property is not classified as empty? i.e. have someone stay there once a month, ensure the insurance is for a lived in house and not empty, keep paying council tax etc

Would this make it quicker/easier to get rid of someone who may break in?

Thanks
Rick

[Paul_f]

Illegal occupants can normally be removed fairly quickly although you do have to get a court order. I've known it to be done in 5 days, and I'm sure somebody else will be able to say if it can be even quicker!

[red40]

If they 'break in' a secure property they aren't squatters but are trespassing and therefore can be removed straight away by the police as long as there is evidence of the forced entry.

[ngadef]

Aren't they unlawful occupants until a court decides the're illegal occupants?

Anyway I think they just trespassers so you can tell them to leave & get the police if they don't want to. Although it is up to you to get them out. The police in case of any disturbance

[justaboutsane]

We have just received a letter from an address of one of our properties. We moved a tenant in 4th April 2005, after conducting credit checks etc and being recommended by a housing support group. Within a few weeks he had encountered problems and had been attacked after being picked up in a taxi. He then called to say he would like to move elsewhere but we did not have anywhere else to move him and I heard no more. When his housing benefit was not processed (I check these things once a week!) I became concerned, even more so when the benefits agency and social services began calling me to see if I knew where he was!

Anyhow.. I wrote to the tenants bank and enclosed a stamped letter to the tenant asking them to forward it on, Today it was returned...opened with the comment "he moved out of here on the 1st March 2005. Not at this address". For a start he did not move in until 4th April! And if he isn't living there who is! We have arranged to call round a few times and noticed someone was at the property (we wrote to say we were coming and if it was a problem to call us). Now we find there may be someone in the property illegally! We have a builder popping round to see who is there but where do we go from here? What is the procedure for getting rid of someone like this? We are aware that there are problems with the gas and electric as the tenant informed us just after he moved in and we are now concerned that if someone is living there all be it illegally we are stuffed. Does it matter that they may have been squatting for a few months? As I say whenever we have called around there has been noone home and we assume from looking through the windows he was living there but ignoring our calls etc.

[MrShed]

Sounds like crap to me.....as far as I am aware, there is no legal difference between a furnished and unfurnished property

[MrShed]

Hmmm....good point. But I also didnt think that the period of vacancy actually made a difference for squatters? And without furniture a landlord could "claim" someone was moving in to an unfurnished property :| I see what you mean, but still sounds like crap to me :P, the whole problem with evicting squatters is that someone is wanting to move in, so I dont think claiming that someone was wanting to mvoe in or not makes any difference.