Check the property routinely for signs of squatters. If its owned by a property management company, their number will likely be listed on a sign posted on the property. Adverse possession is a common law legal concept that dates back to the early 1300s. Angela Woodhull, a landlord in Florida, reported using a hilarious problem tenant strategy that, while we cannot recommend wholesale, seems to have worked well in her situation (this post appears to have since been moved or removed). And then theres the breakup picture purge. A relationship ends and while youre deleting their number from your phone, youre tossing their pictures as well. She has been an active real estate broker since 2005, and founded the real estate agency CT Realty LLC in 2013. Many states dont consider someone who truly had a landlord-tenant relationship with the property owner as a squatter, and lump removing tenants-at-will and holdover tenants in with their normal eviction procedures. Warning! Hopefully, youll never be in a situation that would require you to remove a squatter from your property. Things that a landlord should not do when getting rid of a squatter include: In most states, squatters do have rights, and the longer a landlord waits to remove a squatter the stronger a squatters rights can become. In some cases, a better option may be to digitize the photos and keep them on an external hard drive or a CD that you can put away, then destroy the print copies. Squatting in vacant property can sometimes occur when people from out of state inherit a property and dont hire a property manager to take care of it. Rhonda was right. While it feels scary and almost impossible to deal with at times, I can assure you that you can get through it. Protect your own home by keeping doors and windows locked. While his real estate business runs on autopilot, he writes articles to help other investors grow and manage their real estate portfolios. An overview on the benefits and drawbacks of using an LLC with your income properties, along with the cost, ownership structure, asset protection, and financing implications. Well even buy if youve tried going through the eviction process and have had trouble getting it done. According to the AAOA, these are the permissible steps to take handle the eviction: Immediately contact the police when you discover someone on your property without your consent. In providing this information, Roofstock does not recommend or endorse any third-party provider nor guarantee their services. Early last year I purchased a property for development purposes. But when you are faced with the clutter of printed photos everywhere, digital photos can be easily managed and shared while helping you to declutter your space. has published an excellent guide on how to evict an unlawful occupant. Heres how you can do it. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c0\/Deal-With-Squatters-in-Your-Neighborhood-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Deal-With-Squatters-in-Your-Neighborhood-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c0\/Deal-With-Squatters-in-Your-Neighborhood-Step-2-Version-2.jpg\/aid1885872-v4-728px-Deal-With-Squatters-in-Your-Neighborhood-Step-2-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"