‘Looking to game the system’: DeSantis signs squatting bill in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled to downtown Orlando on Wednesday afternoon to sign a bill into law that will make it harder to squat.

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DeSantis held a news conference at the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, where he signing House Bill 621 into law.

He said the law intends to protect property rights, provide homeowners with remedies against squatting and increases penalties against squatters.

The governor, State Attorney Andrew Bain, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma and people affected by squatters all spoke during the news conference.

“We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida,” DeSantis said Wednesday. “While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system.”

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The new law allows property owners to request that law enforcement officers to immediately remove a squatter from their property if the following conditions are met:

• A person has unlawfully entered and remains on the property

• A person has been directed to leave the property by the owner but has not done so

• A person is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute

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“It will be quick and simple to reclaim your home from squatters, avoiding costly delays, litigation and missed rents,” DeSantis’ office said in a news release. “HB 621 also creates harsh penalties for those engaged in squatting and for those who encourage squatting and teach others the scam.”

The law makes it a first-degree misdemeanor for making a false statement in writing to obtain real property or for knowingly and willfully presenting a falsified document conveying property rights.

It also makes it a second-degree felony for any person who unlawfully occupies or trespasses in a residential dwelling and who intentionally causes $1,000 or more in damages.

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The law also makes it a first-degree felony for knowingly advertising the sale or rent of a residential property without legal authority or ownership.

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