John Fetterman Says Squatters Should Have ‘No Rights’

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman said squatters should have “no rights” in an interview published Saturday by the New York Post.

“Squatters have no rights. How can you even pretend that this is anything other than you’re just breaking the law?” Fetterman said.

The Context

Squatters are people who inhabit a piece of land or a building that they do not have a legal right to occupy, according to the American Apartment Owners Association. They live in the building or on the property without paying rent and without lawful documentation stating they own the property, are a law-abiding tenant or that they have permission to use or access the area.

There is little research about the scale of the issue in the U.S. But areas in Georgia, Florida and Texas had more squatters than other metropolitan areas, according to a survey by the National Rental Home Council (NRHC).

What We Know

The issue of squatters’ rights has generated debate across the country after incidents where property owners found themselves embroiled in legal disputes over individuals residing in their properties without their permission.

Six of eight migrant squatters arrested last week in New York City on drug and gun charges were released by two judges without posting bail, against the discretion of local district attorneys.

New York legislators are pushing for new laws cracking down on “squatting” following several recent clashes between squatters and homeowners.

Views

Fetterman told the New York Post that he also faced the issue when he was mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania.

“It’s wild, that if you go away on a long trip, for 30 days, and someone breaks into your home and suddenly they have rights,” the Democratic Senator continued. “This is crazy. Like if somebody stole your car, and then they held it for 30 days, then somehow you now have some rights?”

Newsweek reached out to Fetterman’s office via email Saturday night. This article will be updated with any statements provided.

Some attorneys say there is not enough of an increase in cases involving squatters to warrant branding New York a crisis zone.

In an email to Newsweek Wednesday, attorney Samuel Himmelstein, who focuses on individual residential and commercial tenant and tenants’ rights litigation, said squatter cases remain “relatively rare.”

“While I have seen an increase in the press of stories relating to squatters, we have not seen an increase of these cases at our law firm. In fact, squatter cases have historically been and remain relatively rare. What we see more commonly are ‘licensee holdovers’,” Himmelstein said.

What’s Next?

President Joe Biden’s administration said on Monday that it’s “critical that local governments take action” to address the ongoing issue of squatters taking up residence in homes they don’t own.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during a press briefing if the Biden administration has any response to recent issues involving squatters and homeowners’ attempts to have them removed.

“My understanding is that this is obviously a local issue, we are certainly tracking that issue. The rights of property owners and renters must be protected, and we believe that ultimately, what needs to happen, is the local government needs to make sure that they address this, and they take action,” she said. “What I can say is that ultimately this is a local issue and it is critical that local governments take action to address it.”