A squatter in London. Photo by Jake Lewis
One of the best subplots of HBO's Silicon Valley this season was exploring how broke people manage to find housing in one of America's most expensive cities. The answer, as it turns out, is squatting: In one episode, an Airbnb guest declines to move out of an expensive condo; later, a tenant simply decides to stop paying rent, announcing that he can stay there for one year before being forcibly evicted.
While those plots are obviously fictional, there are plenty of broke Americans who are struggling to pay their rent every month. Which raises the question: How long, and under what circ*mstances, can someone live on a property, rent-free, without penalty of the law?The most basic form of rent-free living is squatting, or occupying an abandoned home or building. Rules vary from state to state, but for the most part, the law is on the side of squatters. Let's say you move into an abandoned house in California, for example. If you discover who the owner is, you can offer to maintain the property in return for a free place to stay. If you can't locate the owner, you can stake a claim to the property and stay there until the owner asks you to leave. Rules vary from state to state, but in California, if you pay the property taxes on an abandoned property for five years, the property becomes yours free and clear.Originally, these laws were meant to protect people from getting evicted every time the landlord wants to squeeze more money out of a unit, like kicking out decades-long tenants to turn their apartments into Airbnb rentals. The laws also reward tenants who act as stewards of neglected property, which is known as the doctrine of "adverse possession."Matt Derrick, who has run the squatter resource Squat the Planet since 2001, said legal squatting can help homeless or low-income people find places to live in cities where there are literally "tens of thousands of abandoned properties." Advertisem*nt Advertisem*nt
"All told, I lived rent-free for a year and a half." — Warren Sandwell
Campbell said the process typically only takes six to eight weeks. "It's a common myth that it'll take six months or a year," she told VICE, but "once the tenant responds, a landlord can demand a trial, and the trial must be set in 20 days. When someone does sit there [rent free] for months and months, it could be that the landlord's lawyer is not particularly competent."Besides breaking into someone else's property, there are other ways to get off the hook for the rent. If a property changes hands and a new lease is not instated, the tenants are legally off the hook for the rent. That's what happened to Warren Sandwell when his house in Springfield, Missouri, changed ownership."After living in my house for four years, I called my landlord one summer to get my broken AC fixed, and he said, 'I don't own your house anymore,'" Sandwell told VICE. "So it didn't get fixed. After three months, the bank that had acquired the house contacted me. They said that they were now the owners of the house and that I needed to start paying them rent immediately. I told them that we had no binding lease agreement and that if they wanted rent, they would have to fix my AC and begin maintaining my property as landlord." Advertisem*nt
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Alright, buckle up because I'm about to lay down some knowledge on the concepts in this article. First off, let's talk about squatting, the practice of occupying abandoned homes or buildings without the owner's permission. The article mentions that laws regarding squatting vary from state to state, and it sheds light on California's specific regulations. If you move into an abandoned house in California and can't locate the owner, you can stake a claim to the property. Moreover, paying property taxes on an abandoned property for five years in California can actually make the property legally yours.
The article touches upon the historical context of these laws, originally designed to protect people from frequent evictions, particularly in scenarios where landlords sought to convert units into more profitable ventures like Airbnb rentals. The concept of "adverse possession" is introduced, highlighting the legal recognition of tenants who act as stewards of neglected properties.
Now, let's delve into the legal nuances. Frances Campbell, a tenant rights lawyer, explains that a tenant is someone in a unit with the owner's permission. This permission becomes a crucial factor in determining the legal standing of a person living on a property. The article explores a scenario where a landlord wants to evict someone, but the individual claims to have the owner's permission, turning the matter from criminal to civil.
Campbell emphasizes that the eviction process typically takes six to eight weeks, debunking the myth that it might take months or even a year. It's a legal process that involves a trial, and the article suggests that the duration might be influenced by the competence of the landlord's lawyer.
Moving on, the article introduces alternative ways to avoid paying rent. If a property changes hands, and a new lease is not established, tenants are legally off the hook for rent. A real-life example is presented where a person, Warren Sandwell, lived rent-free for a year and a half after the ownership of his house changed, and he wasn't served an eviction notice.
The article also touches upon the intricacies of Airbnb-related situations. It mentions that an Airbnb guest can become a tenant with rights, especially in rent-controlled apartments where evictions require "good cause." This can lead to complications, as seen in the case of the Pashanin brothers, who refused to leave an Airbnb rental, claiming tenant's rights.
In essence, the article provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and practical aspects of living rent-free, covering squatting, adverse possession, eviction processes, and the implications of changing property ownership or renting out spaces like Airbnb.