A squatter is a person who occupies a property or a piece of land without lawful permission. Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent, or otherwise have lawful permission to use. Squatting can be related to political movements, such as anarchist, autonomist, or socialist, and can be a means to conserve buildings or a protest action. Squats can be used by local communities as free shops, cafes, venues, pirate radio stations, or as multi-purpose autonomous social centers.
Squatting and trespassing are not necessarily the same thing. In legal eyes, trespassing is viewed as a criminal offense, whereas squatting is considered a civil matter. Squatters can gain rights to a vacant property through a process known as adverse possession. Adverse possession is the legal term that refers to the process by which a squatter can become the legal owner of the property they have occupied. A squatter must both live in the property and treat it as their own. Performing certain functional maintenance, paying utilities, or renovating the property are all examples of how a squatter can treat a vacant property as their own. However, squatters are not tenants. They do not pay rent and do not have any binding legal contract with the original property owner.
In Florida, squatters can claim legal ownership of a property if they meet certain requirements, such as living in the property uninterruptedly for at least 7 years and possessing the land exclusively. If a squatter occupies a property or land without permission, the property owner will need to file an unlawful detainer action, which is distinct from an eviction proceeding because the squatter is not a tenant.
