What are New York's squatter laws? Legal expert shares thoughts on what more can be done to protect landlords

New York's 2024 authorities fund signed into instrumentality successful April included a wide explanation of a "squatter," but a New York City lawyer believes much tin beryllium done to support homeowners and landlords. 

Several states crossed the state person passed laws to forestall squatting. One was Florida, wherever Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation successful March 2024 that went into effect July 1.

"You are not going to beryllium capable to commandeer somebody's backstage spot and expect to get distant with it. We are successful the authorities of Florida ending the squatter scam erstwhile and for all," DeSantis said during a property conference.

In galore squatter situations passim the country, constabulary person small country to interfere, and the cases are sent to tribunal to beryllium resolved.  (iStock)

ADVICE FROM PROFESSIONALS ON PROTECTING YOUR HOME AGAINST SQUATTERS

In part, the instrumentality made it easier for instrumentality enforcement to intervene successful squatter disputes successful the authorities of Florida. 

The instrumentality "will springiness the homeowner the quality to rapidly and legally region a squatter from a property, which volition summation transgression penalties for squatting. Now, we person not had the aforesaid benignant of issues here, arsenic you've seen successful California oregon New York. Nevertheless, our laws were truly geared towards this not needfully being a fad," DeSantis added. 

True stories from those affected by squatters helped the instrumentality get passed successful the Sunshine State. A pistillate named Patti Peeples, who had squatters successful her location for 36 days, was asked to supply grounds earlier Florida Senate and House committees erstwhile the measure was inactive nether consideration. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed authorities successful March 2024 to assistance support homeowners against squatters.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MENTAL, PHYSICAL AILMENTS CAN DEVELOP AMONG HOMEOWNERS OVERTAKEN BY SQUATTERS, ACCORDING TO EXPERT

"I'm amazed, amazed and really, truly encouraged that this peculiar lawsuit of excavation showed maine and I anticipation shows others that our legislatures tin perceive to mundane citizens and sometimes really question to efficiently marque caller laws to code communal mundane problems," Peeples antecedently told Fox News Digital. 

After galore squatter stories emerged from New York, peculiarly New York City, lawmakers defined a squatter successful the 2024 authorities fund signed into instrumentality by Gov. Kathy Hochul successful April successful an effort to marque it easier for constabulary to intervene. 

The connection defines a squatter arsenic "a idiosyncratic who enters oregon intrudes upon existent spot without the support of the idiosyncratic entitled to possession, and continues to inhabit the spot without title, close oregon support of the proprietor oregon owner’s cause oregon a idiosyncratic entitled to possession," according to the New York Senate's website. 

New York lawmakers defined what a "squatter" is arsenic portion of the 2024 authorities fund to separate betwixt unlawful residents and ineligible renters.  (iStock)

‘PROFESSIONAL’ SQUATTERS MOVE HOUSE TO HOUSE, RETAIN STATE-BY-STATE KNOWLEDGE ON THE LAW

This instrumentality came retired astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the Good Cause Eviction Law.

That instrumentality states "that just marketplace tenants who are not regulated, specified arsenic rent-stabilized and rent-control tenants, but escaped marketplace tenants, cannot beryllium removed from possession of an flat unless the landlord tin found either that they are exempt from the instrumentality oregon that they person what's called bully cause, which is defined successful the instrumentality to region the tenant from possession," said Daniel Phillips.

Phillips is simply a existent property litigation spouse astatine Belkin, Burden and Goldman who specializes successful landlord-tenant disputes. 

Phillips told Fox News Digital defining a squatter "didn't alteration thing with laws pertaining to squatters astatine all." 

"All it did was springiness a explanation of what a squatter is, fundamentally saying that they're not tenants, which already existed," Phillips added. 

Phillips spoke astir ways helium believes New York could assistance support homeowners against squatters, including a wide statement of what tin beryllium done if a homeowner oregon landlord has a squatter surviving connected a property, specified arsenic removal by the constabulary oregon utilizing self-help methods, similar changing locks oregon turning disconnected utilities.

An NYC existent property litigation spouse shared with Fox News Digital that having a courtroom designated for squatter cases could assistance landlords successful the ineligible process, helping proceedings to determination much quickly. (iStock)

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"Even creating a peculiar courtroom designated for these types of cases with an accelerated tribunal day truthful that landlords tin spell done the judicial process faster," Phillips suggested. "The instrumentality didn't bash immoderate of that."