Squatting in the UK

[kdabbler]

Hello I hope you don't mind an American dropping in here. But I have a question and thought maybe you can enlighten me. I learned that it is legal in the UK to squat in unoccupied premises. Here's the Reuters article I read. I am wondering about utilities in unoccupied housing. I mean, are these people living there with no running water, electricity and gas? Or are they left on in hopes of renting/selling the property shortly and just had the bad luck to have people move in?

[NW6Londonmum]

If you squat you need to register with the utilities under your own name or it is considered stealing. More here:
http://www.greenusesforwaste.co.uk/a...-building.html
I doubt they will have been turned off by a landlord who hasn't even taken the time to organize a court order for removal. It's more hassle to contact all the utility companies separately than it is to sort out a court order. An organized squat (as I imagine these guys are) will have phoned up and got themselves registered.

[calpurnia]

www.squatter.org.uk

my brother just did a spell squatting (for which he was eventually arrested as causing criminal damage in changing the locks & has received a caution ); he just rang up the utilities board & got the house reconnected in his name.

[kdabbler]

Wow, thanks. So its practically institutionalized with the Advisory Service and other community groups doing it.

With the number of foreclosures taking place here in the US, I wonder if there won't be some sort of legislation allowing for limited squatting soon. A very sad story that we hear all too often are tenants who are evicted despite being current on their rent to the landowner. The bank then owns the building but would rather have a vacant building than become a landlord.

[Sadystar]

I'd be very surprised to see ANY country move to legalise squatting, it usually the sort of thing that modern governments try to eradicate being as enthusiastic as they are about private ownership of everything. Squatting is one of those things, like direct action that successive UK governments have tried to eradicate through various pieces of legislation.

My understanding and experience is the what rights squatters/direct activists have remaining in european countries is largely down to the fact that law lords and judges, whilst stuffy and anachronistic, tend to have a libertarian bent and believe more in an individuals right to lie down in front of a bulldozer than the right of a road building company to go about it's sanctioned (though dubious) business with expediency. The same goes for squatters vs property owners. Long live this old stick in the muds!

[flapjack]

I don't think squatting is what you're looking for. I think what you're looking for is a reasonable level of tenants rights and yes, it's got to be only a matter of time. Too many abuses.