Bill Would Redefine the Term “Tenant” to Exclude Squatters
Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay (R,C-Pulaski) joined small property owners and his colleagues in the Minority Conference on March 27 to highlight the glaring flaws in New York property laws after a series of alarming squatting incidents in New York City recently.
Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz (R,C-Oyster Bay) has introduced the Property Protection Act (A.6894), which would protect homeowners by clarifying the term “tenant” to exclude squatters.
“The recent stories we’ve seen about squatters have been horrific. But this has been an issue that small property owners have been sounding the alarm about for years,” said Barclay.“New York Democrats have created a system where criminal trespassers magically transform into ‘tenants’ after 30 days. Their irrational and irresponsible policies regarding landlords and tenants have dangerous consequences. It’s time to restore common-sense protections for property owners and end the practice of squatting, which amounts to legalized criminal trespassing.”
Last week, Nadia Vitels — a woman traveling from Spain to prepare a Manhattan apartment owned by her late mother — was brutally beaten to death by two “squatters” who left her body in a duffel bag, according to police.
Additionally, the issue of squatting is gaining notoriety all over social media. Recently, a migrant’s TikTok video reached national attention for his efforts in coaching other migrants on how to live in the U.S. by taking advantage of laws that protect squatters, encouraging them to invade empty homes and live there. One of his videos captured almost four million views.
“The fact that someone can break into your house and have full legal protection after 30 days is completely wrong and un-American,” Blumencranz said. “This is why I’ve proposed the Property Protection Act to close these glaring loopholes in the law and directly combat the squatting crisis we are facing in our state. Long Islanders and all New Yorkers should not have to live in fear of people trying to game the system and take away their hard-earned property and their American dream. New York is the home of hard-working individuals and families, not criminals looking to cheat their way to the top. We must act now to protect New Yorkers and their homes.”
“This legislation marks a critical step forward for small property owners across New York,” said Ann Korchak, board president of Small Property Owners of New York. “Clarifying that squatters do not qualify as tenants directly addresses a loophole that has financially and emotionally drained homeowners. We applaud this much-needed reform, which will protect property rights and contribute to the health and safety of our communities. It’s a step towards fairness and common sense in our housing policies.”
Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R,C-Smithtown) added, “In New York state, squatters, many of whom have illegally crossed our southern border, are using TikTok and other social media platforms to blatantly disregard homeowner’s property rights and declare themselves rightful occupants of homes they do not own. The legislation proposed by Assemblyman Blumencranz applies simple common sense to solve this problem. Squatters do not deserve protection under our housing laws and should be treated as the criminals they are.”