How to prevent squatters in your property? 5 solutions

In our country, it is common for many citizens to own second homes, which they rent out for a monthly economic return, or leave empty to use during holiday periods. Unfortunately, the crisis of a few years ago and the severe economic situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have meant that many people cannot afford to pay rent, and some of them choose to illegally squat in these second residences.

Tips to prevent your property from being squatted

In case your second residence is squatted and you have not contacted the authorities within the first 48 hours, you will have significant problems to evict the squatters through legal means, as you will need a court order to do so.As a first piece of advice, if you have an uninhabited second property, it is advisable to rent it out, as, in addition to preventing squatting, you will save a lot of expenses in time and maintenance of the property itself. If renting is not an option, let's look at other tips on how to prevent squatters in your property.

Reinforce entry security

Investing in a high-security door is a great option when dealing with illegal squatting, as these incorporate resistant systems that make opening without the corresponding key very difficult.Reinforcing windows is also essential, as it is another way squatters can try to access the home.In this section, the effectiveness of alarm systems stands out, where owners can perform access control at all times thanks to a camera, in addition to notifying the police if an intruder manages to enter the property.

Continuous communication with neighbours

If the home belongs to a building or residential complex, it is advisable to have regular contact with neighbours, as they can alert you if they hear noises or notice strange movements around your home. Furthermore, the role of the concierge or doorman (if your community of neighbours has one) is very helpful in preventing unknown people from entering the block or residential complex.

Be careful with social media posts

Many squatters use social media to analyse the routines and movements of owners. For this reason, it is not advisable to constantly upload all your movements to social media, as they can become very useful information for someone looking for a property to squat.

What to do if you detect that your property has been squatted?

As mentioned earlier, the first 48 hours are vital if your property has been squatted. You must notify the police as soon as possible, as, within this period, they can prevent the squatting, either by arresting or evicting the intruders (the crime is different if the habitual residence is squatted compared to a second residence).If it is a second residence and that period has passed, the police will not be able to enter and evict them, as there is no anti-squatter law. The first option is to try to negotiate with the squatters for them to leave amicably, but if that fails, you will have to identify the intruders and report them. If you also fail to do that, your only option is to resort to civil proceedings, which involves a long and costly process, to which, in many cases, the subsequent reconditioning of the home is added.Squatting creates a bad experience for all those property owners who see their second residences invaded by other people without their consent. Although it is a situation that generates much helplessness, you should never resort to force, as you could then become the one who has the status of a criminal. To avoid all these problems, we recommend that you use an access control system that guarantees security and notifies you if someone illegally breaks into your property.

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