Squatters in Rochester must know that they are easily evicted or arrested at any time.
Squatting means encamping or living at the land in Rochester owned by someone else and you have no permission of it.
Squatting is usually the last resort in Chatham, Halling, or Eccles when you are homeless.
Squatting isn't a long-term option if you are homeless as you will be evicted from the building in Rochester and possibly arrested one day.
One is not regarded as a squatter when still staying on the property or land in Kent upon expiry of the leasehold or license.
Squatting in a residential property is considered a criminal offence in Rochester.
It is likely you will get arrested and convicted of:
Prison in Rochester for up to 6 months
Levy you for up to £5,000
The authorities aren't going to arrest you in Kent if you:
You were residing in the property of rent in Rochester after the expiry of your tenancy or license
You were deceived by a bogus letting agent into believing that you are a tenant of the Kent premises
You are a traveller or gypsy encamping on an unauthorised site in Rochester
They will evict you as a squatter in Rochester easily if:
The police refuse to make any arrests in Kent
The owner in Halling, Eccles, or Chatham does not want police involvement
They are staying in commercial premises in Rochester
Locks can be changed by the owner in Rochester while you were not in the property.
If you live in the Rochester property alone or with another settler and will not leave, the owner must get a court order in Kent to evict you.
Just know that threats to any kind of violence are illegal for an owner.
It is necessary or the owner to provide a squatter with a copy of possession claim form either through the letterbox or front door before the 5 days of the hearing in a court in Kent (2 days in case of evicting squatters from the commercial place).
The details of the time and place of court hearing must be mentioned in this form and a defence form with these forms.
In case you are not a squatter in Rochester, you can challenge the case of a landlord.
This can be done by taking back the defence form to the court and attending the hearing in Rochester on the specified date.
The court in Kent will order you to vacate the premises in Rochester right away if you have been squatting.
If you refuse to leave the property, then the landlord needs to ask the official Kent court bailiffs to remove you from the premises.
You can receive some assistance meant for the homeless from the council because as a squatter in Chatham, Halling, or Eccles, you are classified as homeless.
So, as a homeless individual, you can ask their local Council for help in Rochester.
Local council in Kent can assist you in finding a place for stay in Rochester if you are homeless and also single.
Emergency help may be given to you by the specialist services as an alternative in some areas in Kent.
If you are in priority need (for example, if you are pregnant, have children or are vulnerable) the council in Rochester may need to provide you with emergency housing.
On the other hand, the Council may not help you with longer-term housing or emergency if you are an asylum seeker in Chatham, Halling, or Eccles so you have residences and immigration restrictions applicable or the status of your immigration means that you do not have recourse to public funds.
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