Do Squatters Have Too Many Rights In England & Wales?

Any act of illegal and unlawful entry and possession should be a criminal offence.

However, the police are powerless to act when, as has happened, people have gone away for a break and return to find their homes have been 'sublet' by unscrupulous and exploitative opportunists to ethnic groupings, who quickly destroy, discard and rob/abuse the property and its contents in double quick time.

This is breaking and entering and as such a criminal act and yet these rightful owners/tenants have to seek legal redress to reclaim what is rightfully their's.

A disgraceful situation where the only winners are those commiting the act of breaking and entering and the legal personnel engaged to claim the property back!!

It's not morally just, simple as that.

There has to be a balanced view in every case of course but there is no doubt that the law needs to be changed and pronto, otherwise every property owner ( including landlords ) could become victims of this lunacy.

From my point of view, if a person or persons 'invade' a property with the intention of depriving the owner of its use, then that must be legally tantamount to theft, by legal definition. And theft is a criminal offence, is it not? The statute books really need to be brought up to date, don't they? You can almost see an anarchy driven situation where any property could become vulnerable.

Interestingly enough, squatters could become liable to be charged council tax as they are ( in the legal pecking order ) the 'resident' and have adopted the property as their main residence. Of course that's a laughing matter as they would never register, give their real names etc. But what about the use of electricity, water and gas, if they are all available? Is that not theft? And, I assume, any buildings insurance becomes void as a result?

AS I said, the statute books really need urgently updating before this becomes a national pasttime!

Its not morally just to first trespass and then occupy someone else's property these tramps for lack of a better word should be heavily fined and made to do community service at the very least.

In a word, 'Yes'.

I remember when I lived in a quite fashionable area of west London in the 70's. Lots of rather nice properties were boarded up pending refurbishment, and many of them were taken over by squatters.

One just round the corner from where I lived had a big painted sign saying 'Squat now while stocks last'.

I agree with you and everyone else CS.
This is one of those laws that seems to have been overlooked for years now.
It's just not right that someone can move in and takeover a property like that but I fear with the country the way it is now, that this may well be on the increase.

Squatting is tantamount to stealing from the owner or landlord and is certainly not morally just. It seems that the law in England and Wales is quite complex and that some squatters have more rights than others if they are, for example, former tenants at the property. There seem to be more rights for squatters that move into empty properties than for those who break and enter a property when the owner is temporarily absent. It seems that the law needs to be updated in this area.

I can't imagine what I would do if I had gone away for a holiday
and returned to find people living in my home. I thought this
would have been breaking and entering. How can this be right
as I thought they could only be temporary in unfurnished homes.
Obviously most of you more about this subject than myself.

Here is a simple remedy if you find yourself a victim of squatters.

1. Ask squatters to leave

2. If no reasonable reply, smash window

3. Call 999 and say someone has broken in to your property

4. Wait for police and enjoy

Simples. Tried and tested, sadly.

Squatters have way too many rights!

Geez, where are the workhouses for the surplus population?