Home protection is a necessity for many homeowners, who need to avoid the inconvenience of squatting on private property. It is a situation that entails legal procedures and expenses to evict squatters, hopefully after months of conflict in the courts. In addition, there are costs for damage and deterioration of the property.
Legislation relaxes some of the conditions for squatting, since according to private studies, there are close to 100,000 squatted homes, mainly affecting Barcelona and Madrid and second homes in the Mediterranean and other areas.
How to prevent squatting
Evicting squatters is not easy, it is a distress that must be prevented, as there have been cases of squatting in owner-occupied residences and the police have warned of skilful squatting practices even in new homes.
The first recommendation is to rent the property, in order to prevent squatting. At the same time, rental fees generate a fixed monthly income. Second homes can be rented out on short seasonal contracts.
Another recommendation is to come to the house or to hire someone to pick up the mail, keep the garden and plants clean. It is not advisable to place advertisements for sale or rent, it is better to hire real estate agents.
Installing alarm systems can be a solution to scare off squatters, as well as protecting the doors with security locks. Closed circuits and 360° cameras detect intruders with thermal or motion vision and alert the mobile phone, representing high security at affordable prices.
