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Article: Squatters and unauthorised occupants

Squatters and unauthorised occupantsWhat are squatters and unauthorised occupants? 

Both squatters and unauthorised occupants are people with no right to be in our property.

What can you do if you think you see any?

If you see an empty council property it is more than likely that it is undergoing repairs before we offer it to another tenant.

We do take action to make sure that any empty property is secure and that illegal occupiers (squatters) cannot move into the property. But sometimes squatters do move into our empty homes.

We need your help to keep a watch on empty properties and tell us if there is any sign of squatters or suspicions of squatters.

Who can I report it to?

If you see anyone suspicious or who you believe is squatting in one of our properties please contact us. You can phone your local Barnsley Connects Office on 01226 775555 (opening times Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) or email your local Housing Management Team. 

We will treat your report with confidence.

If you see them breaking in or causing any damage please contact South Yorkshire Police on 101.

What will we do?

If we know we have squatters or unauthorised occupants we can take legal action to evict them. The laws are very complex and we cannot simply evict them. We have to follow a legal process.

Once you have made contact with the Housing Management Team by calling 01226 775555 or information is passed to them by your local Barnsley Connects Office.

We will call out to the property within 24 hours and if there are squatters we will start the legal process straight away.

If you want us to keep you informed give us your contact details and we will let you know what is happening.

We cannot disclose confidential information to you but we can keep you up to date on how we are dealing with the problem.

How you can help us?

You can help us by:

  • taking a note of the address you think has squatters;
  • giving us a description of the squatters; and
  • making a note of how long they have been there.

Where can I get further information from?

You can download the following leaflets: 

Or, you can pick any of these leaflets up from your local Barnsley Connects Offices.

You can also request copies by e-mailing us at CustomerServices@berneslaihomes.co.uk or phoning the Customer Services team on (01226) 772720.

Which laws apply to this?

  • Housing Act 1985
  • Housing Act 1996
  • Housing Act 2004

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