Squatters in Suffolk can be at risk of being arrested.
When you start living on a property in Suffolk without the owner's permission, it will be considered as Squatting.
Squatting in Ipswich, Bury Saint Edmunds, or Lowestoft is mostly a last resort for someone who is homeless.
It is not a long-term solution as most probably you will be evicted from the property in Suffolk and arrested.
If you have continued to live in the property in Suffolk after your lease ended, you are not a squatter.
Squatting in a private property in Suffolk without permission qualifies as criminal offense.
You risk being arrested and in case you are found guilty, you may:
Be sentenced up to 6 months in Suffolk
Be fined a maximum of £5,000
However, you cannot be arrested as a squatter in Suffolk if:
You were residing in the property of rent in Suffolk after the expiry of your tenancy or license
Entered the property in Suffolk believing that you were a tenant - for instance, if you were rented by a bogus letting agent, they had no right to it
Are a gypsy living on unauthorized ground in Suffolk
Squatters in Suffolk can be evicted if:
The police in Suffolk are not prepared to make an arrest
The property holder in Lowestoft, Ipswich, or Bury Saint Edmunds is reluctant to involve the police
You are staying in a commercial property in Suffolk
The owner in Suffolk can gain access and change locks while all of you are outside.
If you live in the Suffolk property alone or with another settler and will not leave, the owner must get a court order in Suffolk to evict you.
It is against the law for the landlord to use violence or even threaten to use violence against you.
The owner must send a copy of their possession claim documents via the letterbox or attach it to the front door at least 5 days to the court hearing in Suffolk (or 2 days for squatters in commercial sites).
His claim forms sent to the squatter must include a defence form and details of the time and place of the court hearing.
You can challenge the case to confirm you are not a squatter in Suffolk.
Do this by going to the court hearing in Suffolk on the date specified and return the defence forms to the court.
If the Suffolk court rules that you are a squatter, you would be ordered to vacate the Suffolk property within a short timeframe.
If they don't leave, the owner can request bailiffs from the Suffolk court to evict you.
Squatters in Ipswich, Lowestoft, or Bury Saint Edmunds are classified as homeless because they don't have permission to live where they are.
To take help, you can apply to the local council in Suffolk and request to help you as a homeless person.
The Suffolk council should give you advice on finding somewhere to live in Suffolk if you are single ad homeless.
In some areas in Suffolk, special services may provide emergency help as an alternative to sleeping rough.
If you at risk, for instance if you have young children, or are pregnant, the Suffolk council may make emergency housing provisions for you.
However, if you have immigration or residences restriction, the council will not offer long-term or emergency housing, for instance, either the status of your immigration indicates 'no recourse to public funds' or you're an asylum seeker in Lowestoft, Bury Saint Edmunds, or Ipswich.
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