Gov. DeSantis Expected to Sign Bill Protecting Landlords From Squatters
Florida lawmaker says state is ‘leading the nation in this quest to approach squatters legally’
Some legal experts are warning that many renters have neither a notarized lease, nor receipts of payments to owners, and that this definition could be exploited by unscrupulous landlords seeking to evict certain tenants.
“What this statute alteration does is it now gives a landlord — potentially one that maybe wants to be a little daring — the ability to say, ‘Well, in the case of non-payment of rent, I’m just going to sign an affidavit to the sheriff saying that they’re a transient occupant, and they should be removed without a court’s order,’” said attorney Kevin Rabin
Under current state law, landlords would usually have to go through lengthy and costly legal procedures before being able to remove a tenant.
“That [House Bill 621] gives police the ability to immediately evict squatters. That does not exist in most states, because they’re treated as a civil matter,” Peeples said. “It also charges squatters with a misdemeanor for squatting or presenting a false lease. And furthermore, it’s a felony for them to do $1,000 or more damage to the property.”