House squatting in Spain, some advice.

Squatting and trespassing, differences.

The first thing to distinguish is that not all squats are the same, it is not the same when your home is squatted, whether you live in it regularly or not, in which case we are talking about breaking and entering, as it is when you squat in a home that is not inhabited or that is supposed to be abandoned, in which case squatting in an occupied house is more difficult.

The procedure for eviction of squatters is quicker and less complicated in the case of breaking and entering, so it is essential to be able to prove that it is a break-in.

How to prevent squatting in my home?

Here are some tips to prevent squatting:

-Always lock the door, even for short exits.

-If you have an alarm with a camera, all the better (you can prove that the home has just been broken into, it is considered a flagrant offence), and you usually get a bonus on your home insurance.

-Exchange means of contact with your neighbours, that coupled with attentive neighbours, who call the police from minute one, if an occupation occurs.

-Never post your holiday or long weekend plans on social media.

A good door, anti-squatting or armoured, this added to not leaving the house empty for too long, passing by from time to time and making use of it, so that changes can be seen from the outside.

-Ask a trusted person to collect your mail if you are going to be away for many days, put up blinds, put the doormat up properly, for example.

And if the squatters are inside, how to speed up the de-occupation of a house?

The procedure for eviction of squatters is quicker and less complicated in the case of breaking and entering, so it is essential to be able to prove that it is a break-in.

In order to be considered as a break-in, the property must be furnished and have basic utilities, and you must be able to prove that you are the owner of the property, always have a copy of the deed of purchase or similar, so that the occupants cannot say that it was abandoned, nor that the property is theirs.

The first 48 hours are crucial for evicting squatters from the property, as it is often considered a flagrant offence.

Things not to do if you have squatters in your home.

-Don’t change the lock so they can’t get in.

-Do not cut off supplies.

-No threats or intimidation.

The occupants could report you for a coercion offence and you could end up paying instead of them.

But, if squatting is a crime, how do squatters manage to stay inside a house?

The tricks that squatters use to stay in a house always try to show that it is their home and not yours, how?

-With a false rental contract.

-With the pizza technique, ordering food at the address they want to squat and picking it up at the doorway, in order to prove that they have been inside the house since that day (even if they have picked it up at the doorway).

-Leave personal belongings inside.

-Take pictures inside to make it look like they have been there longer.

Hopefully you will never need to take these tips into account, but if you are unfortunate enough to have been squatted, we hope they can help you to deal with the situation.