Evicting Squatters UK: Legal Routes for Owners (2026)

Overview

Squatting generally means occupying land or a building without any legal right to be there and without the owner's consent. Since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into force, squatting in a residential building became a specific criminal offence under section 144, which opens the door to police involvement in a way that was not previously available.

Squatting in commercial or non-residential property, however, remains primarily a civil matter, and owners usually have to recover possession through the courts. You should also be aware of older rules under the Criminal Law Act 1977, particularly the offence of using violence to secure entry while someone is inside opposing that entry, which is why owners cannot simply force their way in and physically remove occupiers.

Distinguishing between a squatter, a former tenant who has overstayed, and a licensee whose permission has ended matters a great deal, because each category has its own eviction route and timescale.

Key steps

1. Confirm the status of the occupier. Before doing anything else, work out whether the people in the property are true squatters (entered without any permission), former tenants holding over after a tenancy ended, or licensees whose permission has been withdrawn. The correct legal route differs significantly for each, and getting this wrong can delay recovery by weeks or months.
2. Gather evidence and secure the perimeter where lawful. Document the occupation with dated photos, note any damage, and keep copies of any correspondence or notices posted at the property. If parts of the building or site are still accessible and unoccupied, you may take reasonable steps to secure those areas, but you must not use force against anyone inside.
3. Contact the police for residential premises. Where the property is a residential building and the occupiers entered as trespassers, the police have powers to arrest under section 144 of the 2012 Act. Report the situation, provide proof of ownership, and ask them to attend. Police response can vary in practice, so be prepared to pursue civil remedies in parallel.
4. Apply for a possession order through the civil courts. For commercial property, or where police decline to act, the standard route is a claim for possession against trespassers in the County Court or High Court. This is usually made using the Part 55 procedure and, in urgent cases, can produce a hearing within days rather than weeks. A court order gives you the authority to have the occupiers removed lawfully.
5. Enforce the possession order with bailiffs or HCEOs. Once you have an order for possession, enforcement is carried out by County Court bailiffs or, if the claim is transferred up, High Court Enforcement Officers. Do not attempt to remove occupiers yourself after the order is made, enforcement must be done through authorised officers to avoid criminal liability for the owner.

Common questions