If you are squatting in Maidenhead, you could be easily arrested and evicted.
Unlawful entry into a property in Maidenhead and staying there without consent from the owner is called squatting.
Squatting is often the last option someone in Marlow, Maidenhead, or Cookham has when they are homeless.
Also, it shouldn't be taken as a long-term option if you are already homeless as squatters are liable to be evicted from Maidenhead and arrested if need be.
You will not be regarded as a squatter in case you continue to reside on the property or land in Berkshire after the end of your license or tenancy.
If you are squatting in a residentially owned property in Maidenhead, it is considered as a criminal offence.
You risk being arrested and in case you are found guilty, you may:
Be imprisoned in Maidenhead to a maximum of 6 months
Pay up to £5,000 in fines
They will not arrest you in Berkshire if you:
You keep on staying within the rental premises in Maidenhead upon expiry of tenancy or certificate
Living on a property in Berkshire you think you genuinely rented but were deceived by a fraudulent agent who had no right to rent the place out to you
You are a traveller or gypsy living on an unauthorized area in Maidenhead
Maidenhead squatters can be evicted for many reasons, such as:
The Berkshire police seem unwilling to arrest the squatter
The owner of the property in Cookham, Marlow, or Maidenhead doesn't want the police to be involved
You live in business premises in Maidenhead
As soon as you are not on the property, the Maidenhead landowner can gain access to the property and replace all the locks.
In case the squatter has declined to vacate the property in Maidenhead, and is still inside, the landlord can obtain court order in Berkshire to vacate.
Use of violence or threat against you is illegal.
The landowner should serve a print of ownership claim forms either via a letterbox or have it placed on the door of the squatter 5 days before the court hearings in Berkshire or 2 days for people staying in commercial premises.
These must be accompanied by a defence form and the details of the time and place of the court hearing.
In case you are not a squatter in Maidenhead, then you can challenge the owner's claim of property possession.
That can be done by returning the defence form to the court and going to the court hearing in Maidenhead.
If you squat, the Berkshire court will order you to vacate the property in Maidenhead pronto.
If they don't leave, the owner can request bailiffs from the Berkshire court to evict you.
Squatters in Maidenhead, Marlow, or Cookham are classified as homeless because you are not entitled to live where you are.
You can seek for assistance as a homeless person from your local council in Maidenhead.
The Berkshire council should provide you with advice on how to find somewhere to stay in Maidenhead.
Some areas in Berkshire offer an emergency service to homeless people to give them an option instead of squatting.
In some situation, the council in Maidenhead may need to give you emergency shelter if you are deemed as a priority case (pregnant, with children, or in danger).
However, local council will not be able to assist you in emergency or long-term housing in case you are restricted with residency or immigration status such as asylum seekers in Maidenhead, Cookham, or Marlow.
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