Commercial property owners across the UK are being warned to be
on the look-out for potential squatters in their empty or
infrequently used premises, following a change in the law,
according to legal firm Adams & Remers.

Over the last month squatting in a residential property has
become a criminal act and this could see some squatters target
other types of property such as vacant business space for a place
to call 'home'.

Simon Janaway, solicitor at Adams & Remers, said: "The
advice being given by groups which support squatting now indicates
that they are looking to actively target commercial property and
their removals from it remains primarily a civil matter and
therefore the responsibility of the property owner, who will need
to take legal action to recover the property.

"This is both time consuming and costly to do and whilst the
intention behind the new law was to protect home owners, it has
pushed the problem towards the business community and there is in
many areas a lot of empty commercial property around for squatters
to choose from."

The firm cited a potential scenario of an empty retail unit or public house with a flat above
it. Squatters could legally claim not to be living in the
residential part of the property and the Police would be completely
powerless to intervene.

The Ministry of Justice has insisted it will seek to improve the
current civil remedies of such cases as well as the enforcement of
existing criminal offences made by squatters. As yet, no timescale
has been placed on this and landlords are therefore urged to remain
vigilant in the coming months.

—