Squatter Evictions Are Changing Fast — Is Your Property Team Ready?

By Jen Free, Director of Sales at Cloudastructure and former property management professional.

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In association with Adam Edgecombe, partner at Cobb/Gonzalez and expert in eviction law. Active member of the Jacksonville Bar Association and serves on the Board of the Chamber's Downtown Council.

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‍New state laws. Criminalized squatting. Faster evictions. If you’re a property manager, the legal landscape is shifting—and fast. In our recent webinar, “Ask an Attorney: Navigating New Squatter Eviction Laws,” legal expert Adam Edgecombe of Cobb & Gonzalez helped unpack these sweeping changes and what they mean for your bottom line.

Key takeaway? You need to know the law, gather the right evidence, and use technology to protect your property—before a squatter ever steps foot on it.

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The Multifamily Crime Poll: What Property Managers Told Us About Squatters

During the webinar, we polled the multifamily professionals in the audience. Squatters, defined specifically as individuals with no legal claim to tenancy, are relatively rare. Only 10% of respondents have encountered a squatter that has trespassed on the property. 

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However, those that have experienced a squatter situation were divided on what was the biggest challenge:

•  71%  said the legal red tape and delays in obtaining a law enforcement response create the biggest headaches
• 29% said the complaints from residents.

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A full 91% said they still aren’t sure what evidence courts require to legally remove squatters. 

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And 71% weren’t sure whether their state was pursuing squatter reform. Check the laws in your state here. 

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The situation is historically so painful, expensive and tedious that a full 57% are actively looking into updating their lease terms and security measures to ensure they take advantage of any squatter reform laws.

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🏛️ The Legal Landscape: What’s Changing

For decades, squatting was considered a civil matter. Even if someone was clearly not a tenant, law enforcement would often say: “Take it to court.” Property owners could lose access to units for months—or years.

But that’s rapidly changing. States across the U.S. are passing laws to criminalize squatting and fast-track removals. Still, many laws only apply to true squatters (not holdover tenants, or anyone with a “colorable claim” of tenancy, such as former roommates, or family members).

So it’s important to know these laws and how to invoke them. “If you misidentify a squatter or skip a required step, you can turn a quick resolution into a legal nightmare,” warned Edgecombe.

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🧠 Who’s a Squatter (and Who’s Not)?

Understanding who qualifies as a squatter is key to handling the situation legally and efficiently:

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Squatter – No lease, not a co-owner, not on the title, not connected to a tenant with a lease in any way

Removal Process: Eligible for expedited removal in many states

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Holdover Tenant – Stayed past lease

Removal Process: Must follow formal eviction process

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Family/Friend of Tenant  or Sublet – Not on lease but stayed behind

Removal Process: Usually treated as holdover

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Airbnb Guest Overstay (<28 days)

Removal Process: May be removed as a transient

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🔎 What the Law Does Expect You to Do…and What’s Disastrous

Do’s:

According to Edgecombe, the safest and smartest approach is:

✅ Confirm their status – Know who you’re dealing with. Be calm, be cordial, but verify their perception of their occupancy.
✅ Document everything – Photos and paperwork are good, but surveillance footage is great. A squatter can otherwise try to claim you were confrontational and that helps them in court.
✅ Use surveillance tech – Especially AI-based systems that offer motion-triggered incident logs and cloud-based storage. You’ll want to be able to track how long a squatter has been there, how they accessed the property initially, has their occupancy been continuous and notorious, and any engagement you as the property have had with them has adhered to the law.
✅ Consult an attorney – Don't guess and don’t delay; legal counsel is crucial and there’s a short time frame before their occupancy starts to incur rights. 

Don’ts:

🚫 NO “SELF HELP”  Don’t change locks or turn off utilities
🚫 Don’t remove squatter belongings
🚫 Don’t delay or ignore - tell property management and an attorney immediately
🚫 Don’t escalate the situation by arguing

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Information is Critical When it Comes to Dealing with Squatters

If you are uncertain whether expedited squatter laws have been implemented in your state, check our interactive map. If you are unfamiliar with how to handle a squatter, we encourage you to watch the whole webinar and hear attorney Adam Edgecombe’s advice firsthand.

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Planning on Upgrading Security to Protect Against Squatters? 

‍Book a Call with Us Today! We’re here to help.