Squatters in West Yorkshire can be at risk of being arrested.
Squatting is when a person illegally enters a premise in West Yorkshire to live without the permission of the tenant or owner of said property.
If you are homeless in Huddersfield, Leeds, or Bradford, this is usually a last resort for you.
The chances are that you'd be evicted from the West Yorkshire property and arrested if you're committing this offence.
You are not classed as a squatter if you have stayed in a property in West Yorkshire when our lease has finished.
Squatting in a residential property in West Yorkshire is a criminal act.
As the consequences of squatting, you can be:
Up to six months in prison in West Yorkshire
Required to pay £5,000 fine
The authorities aren't going to arrest you in West Yorkshire if you:
Continued living in the same premises in West Yorkshire after the end of tenancy or licence
Genuinely moved into a property in West Yorkshire thinking you were a tenant, but you were cheated by a bogus renting agent
You are a traveller or gypsy encamping on an unauthorised site in West Yorkshire
Squatters in West Yorkshire may be removed if:
The police in West Yorkshire do not want to arrest you
The owner of the property in Bradford, Huddersfield, or Leeds does not feel the need to involve the police
They are staying in commercial premises in West Yorkshire
The landlord in West Yorkshire may choose to change the locks while everyone is away.
The property owner in West Yorkshire may also get a court order in West Yorkshire to facilitate the eviction when squatters refuse to leave.
It is illegal for the owner of the premises to make threats or use violence.
The owner needs to attach the copy of their possession claim forms to the front door at least 5 days before court hearing in West Yorkshire, or 2 days for those situated on commercial premises.
The forms must have a defence form and information about the venue and time of the court hearing.
You must challenge the owner's case, in the event that you're not squatting in West Yorkshire.
This can be done by taking back the defence form to the court and attending the hearing in West Yorkshire on the specified date.
If the West Yorkshire court rules that you are a squatter, you would be ordered to vacate the West Yorkshire property within a short timeframe.
In case you decline to get out, the landlord may ask West Yorkshire court bailiffs to evict you.
Squatters in Bradford, Huddersfield, or Leeds are categorized as homeless since they don't have the right to be staying where they are.
Apply to your local council in West Yorkshire and enjoy the homeless people's benefits.
The West Yorkshire council may assist you finding somewhere you can live in West Yorkshire if you aren't married and without a home.
Some areas in West Yorkshire offer an emergency service to homeless people to give them an option instead of squatting.
In case you are badly in need including having children around or expectant, the local authority in West Yorkshire can offer you emergency housing.
However, if immigration restrictions such as no recourse to public funds applies to you or you are an asylum seeker in Bradford, Huddersfield, or Leeds, then the council does not need to provide any emergency shelter or long-term property.
Based in West Yorkshire, 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.