You can easily be ejected and arrested if you are squatting in Surrey.
Squatting simply means staying on property or land in Surrey without permission from the owner or leaseholder.
If you are homeless in Crawley, Woking-Byfleet, or Guildford, this is usually a last resort for you.
If you're poor, it's not a long-term solution as you're almost certainly going to be evicted from the Surrey property and charged.
You will not be regarded as a squatter in case you continue to reside on the property or land in Surrey after the end of your license or tenancy.
Squatting in a residential property in Surrey is considered a criminal offence.
You can be arrested and if convicted can be:
Sent for up to six months in prison in Surrey
Pay up to £5,000 in fines
The following situations in Surrey would not warrant an arrest:
Staying on a property in Surrey after your license or tenancy ended
You were cheated by a bogus renting agent while you genuinely moved into a property in Surrey thinking you were a tenant
You are gypsy or wanderer residing in area that is unauthorized in Surrey
It is easy to evict a squatter in Surrey under the following conditions:
The Surrey police feel there is no need for an arrest
The owner of the property in Woking-Byfleet, Crawley, or Guildford will not involve the police
They are living in a commercial premises in Surrey
The landlord in Surrey may choose to change the locks while everyone is away.
In case a squatter in a property in Surrey refuse to move out, the owner may seek a court injunction in Surrey.
It is against the law for the owner towards you to threaten or use violence.
The landlord needs to give a possession claim form copy to the squatters (either by post or attaching to the door) at least five days before the court hearing in Surrey is due - or two days if this is occurring in a commercial building.
The details of the time and place of court hearing must be mentioned in this form and a defence form with these forms.
You can challenge the owner's case if you are not a squatter in Surrey.
You must return the defence form to the court and attend the court hearing in Surrey.
However, if the court in Surrey rules that you are squatting, they will order you to leave the Surrey property right away.
If you fail to move out, the Surrey court bailiffs will force you out once the owner reports you.
Squatters in Woking-Byfleet, Guildford, or Crawley don't have the right to live in the place where they are. Therefore, they are classed as homeless.
You can seek for assistance as a homeless person from your local council in Surrey.
The local council in Surrey will help you look for a place where you can stay in Surrey if you're single and homeless.
In some Surrey areas, specialist services may render emergency help as an alternative to sleeping rough.
The Surrey council may have to give you emergency residence if you are in priority need, such as being expectant, having children or are vulnerable.
However, if immigration restrictions such as no recourse to public funds applies to you or you are an asylum seeker in Guildford, Crawley, or Woking-Byfleet, then the council does not need to provide any emergency shelter or long-term property.
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