For landlords, squatters are not just a nuisance, they can cost you a significant amount of money in lost revenue on your property as well as causing damage you will have to pay to put right. Getting rid of squatters quickly and effectively is clearly a priority for any landlord or management company finding themselves with unauthorised occupants in their premises. However, it is vitally important to stay within the law when removing squatters or you can end up causing the situation to escalate, potentially wasting even more of your time and money.
Do you need the police to remove squatters?
The procedures for removing squatters depend on the circumstances. Squatters in residential buildings are breaking the law, making this a matter for the police. However, squatting in non-residential buildings or on commercial land, such as a shop or farmland is not usually a crime and must be dealt with differently.
How to remove squatters from commercial property
If you are a landlord or management company dealing with commercial squatters, there are three main options for removing them. Depending on the exact circumstances, you can either use an Interim Possession Order (IPO), a Court Order or Common Law to remove unauthorised occupants from your non-residential property or land.
Knowing which of these is the appropriate route to go down can be tricky to judge, which is why it is always recommended to use an experienced and properly licenced Enforcement Officer to deal with commercial squatters on your behalf
Speed up proceedings with an enforcement officer
An Enforcement Officer who holds a Country Court issued Enforcement Licence is empowered to carry out evictions legally on behalf of landlords and property management companies. An experienced Enforcement Officer will be able to quickly assess the situation and make a judgement about the correct way to proceed with evicting your squatters.
Choosing the right route to go down early on saves time and prevents having to go back and forth to the property repeatedly in order to achieve the desired outcome. A good Enforcement Officer will also know how to minimise the chances of squatters causing problems during an eviction and understand the correct amount of “reasonable force” they are entitled to use. This will allow the eviction to proceed faster and more smoothly and reduce the risk of further legal complications.
Able Investigations has decades of experience removing commercial squatters on behalf of landlords and property management companies. We have the expertise to quickly, effectively and safely remove unauthorised occupants from your premises, so if you need help removing squatters from your commercial property or land, get in touch with Able Investigations today. To find out more call now on 0345 366 0000 and speak to a member of our professional, qualified team.
