Arizona has moved one step closer to changing the law on how property owners can handle squatters.
In light of a revived national conversation about the issue of squatters' rights, a new bill advancing through Arizona's state Senate would allow homeowners to involve the police if a squatter refuses to leave their property.
Under the current law in Arizona, squatters must be pursued through the courts, which costs property owners time and money. But the new SB 1129 bill proposed by Republican state Senator Wendy Rogers could speed up that process.
Instead, a property owner could submit an affidavit to police outlining that the squatter is not paying rent, has no ownership or lease interest, and has no right to remain at the property. Police could then direct the person to leave, and charge them with trespassing if they do not.
Addressing colleagues, Rogers outlined the issue facing homeowners. "You go on vacation, your house is empty—you think. You come home and there are squatters in your property."
Her comments were echoed by Republican state Senator Justine Wadsack, who said she now carries a gun in her work as a real estate agent.
"When you turn the corner and you're thinking you're going to show your buyer the third bedroom and you come face to face with someone who is essentially taking possession of someone else's property, essentially, is terrifying," she said.
The bill passed the Arizona Senate with a bipartisan 18-8 vote and was then handed to the House, where concerns were raised over how the bill might impact rightful tenants, and how it might be used against the victims of domestic violence. If the proposed changes from the House are accepted by the Senate, the measure will land on the desk of Governor Katie Hobbs to sign off, or veto.
Arizona is not the only state seeking to change laws on squatters' rights. In New York, where several squatting incidents this year turned violent and captured national attention, lawmakers want to remove squatters from under the definition of tenant and allow them to be treated as trespassers.
Similarly, a law in Florida was rebalanced in favor of property owners in March, ending what Governor Ron DeSantis called a "squatters scam." He added: "While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system."
Squatting has become a national talking point in recent weeks after a few incidents in mid-March. One involved a woman in New York named Adele Andaloro, who was reportedly arrested for changing the locks on her own home to shut squatters out. Another incident was a viral video on TikTok by a Venezuelan migrant named Leonel Moreno, who offered people tips on how to squat in American homes.
In exclusive polling conducted for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies this month, 61 percent of those asked opposed squatters' rights, while 71 percent supported New York's move to reclassify squatters as trespassers. The polling was carried out between April 6 and 7, with a sample size of 4,000.
Homeowners have been warned about taking the law into their own hands over this issue, while in California, a business has cropped up offering to get rid of illegal tenants on your property.
Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, weighed in on the issue last week, promising, "If you have illegal aliens invading your home, we will deport you."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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