Florida pushes back against ‘squatters rights’ in new bill.

To combat what has been referred to as an “epidemic” by some, Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Wednesday that protects homeowners rights and increases penalties against those participating in the scam.

“We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system.”

Under the signed legislation, HB 621, homeowners now have the ability to contact law enforcement to have a squatter removed from their property as long as certain conditions are met, including:

• The individual has unlawfully entered and remains on the property;
• The individual has been directed to leave the property by the owner but has not done so; and
• The individual is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute.

The bill will go into effect July 1st.

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