113 Sycamore Field
0800 246 1381
If you are squatting in West Sussex, you could be easily arrested and evicted.
This term squatting is used if someone enters and lives in a property in West Sussex without having permission from the owner or tenant.
Squatting is typically a final option for people in Worthing, Bognor Regis, or Littlehampton who are homeless.
It isn't an option that is long-term for the homeless, and you will possibly be arrested and almost certainly be removed in West Sussex.
You are not classed as a squatter if you have stayed in a property in West Sussex when our lease has finished.
Squatting in a residential property is considered a criminal offence in West Sussex.
As the consequences of squatting, you can be:
Be sentenced up to 6 months in West Sussex
Pay up to £5,000 in fines
You should not be prosecuted in West Sussex if you:
You keep on staying within the rental premises in West Sussex upon expiry of tenancy or certificate
You have been a victim of fraud agent and you entered a property in West Sussex genuinely being a tenant
You are a traveller or gypsy living on an unauthorized area in West Sussex
A squatter in West Sussex can be easily and quickly evicted if:
The police in West Sussex are unwilling to arrest you
The owner of the property in Worthing, Bognor Regis, or Littlehampton does not want to call the police
You make a commercial premise your home in West Sussex
As soon as you are not on the property, the West Sussex landowner can gain access to the property and replace all the locks.
If you or another squatter are in the property in West Sussex, if you refuse to leave, the owner will normally have to get a court order in West Sussex.
It is against the law for the owner towards you to threaten or use violence.
The owner must post a copy of their claim form through the letterbox or attach it to the front door at least 5 days before the court hearing in West Sussex (or 2 days if you squat in a property that is commercial).
The information provided must include a defence form as well as giving the knowledge of the place and time of the hearing.
In case you are not a squatter in West Sussex, you can challenge the case of a landlord.
That can be done by returning the defence form to the court and going to the court hearing in West Sussex.
If you are squatting, the West Sussex court will usually order you to vacate the property in West Sussex there and then.
In case you decline to move from the property, the owner can request court bailiffs in West Sussex to escort you out.
Squatters in Littlehampton, Worthing, or Bognor Regis are classed as homeless as they have no where to stay.
To take help, you can apply to the local council in West Sussex and request to help you as a homeless person.
If you're single and homeless, the West Sussex council is going to advise you about where you can find a place to stay in West Sussex.
Some areas in West Sussex offer an emergency service to homeless people to give them an option instead of squatting.
The council in West Sussex may have to provide you with emergency housing if you are pregnant, have children or are vulnerable.
You don't have access to such provision if you are affected by residences or immigration restrictions, such as people whose immigration status doesn't give them access to public funds and asylum seekers in Littlehampton, Worthing, or Bognor Regis are examples of people under such restrictions.
Based in West Sussex, working nationwide
Find Out More
If you would like to find out more about the bespoke security services we provide here at Denbigh Franks, please do not hesitate to get in touch today. We look forward to answering any questions you may have.