New York Governor Signs Squatter Law in Favor of Homeowners

The law is part of a bipartisan effort in Albany to limit so-called squatters’ rights.
New York Governor Signs Squatter Law in Favor of Homeowners
Midtown Manhattan buildings in New York City on March 4, 2021. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Bill Pan
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In the wake of a series of high-profile squatter cases making national headlines, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed into law a bill that will make it easier for homeowners across the state to evict unlawful occupants.

State Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz, a Long Island Republican, spearheaded the bill. It modifies a section of New York property law that describes a tenant as an occupant of a home “who has been in possession for 30 consecutive days or longer,” clarifying that squatters are not tenants and, therefore, not entitled to tenants’ protections under a landlord–tenant relationship.