Sell a House With Squatters — We Buy It Occupied

How we buy a house with people in it

Most buyers want a vacant house with the keys on the counter. We don’t need that. We’ll walk the outside, talk to the occupants if they’re willing, look at whatever we can, and make you a written cash offer that accounts for the time and cost of getting the house back. You close, you get paid, and the occupants become our problem to solve — lawfully.

We buy houses occupied by squatters, non-paying tenants, holdover tenants after a lease ended, and relatives of a deceased owner who refuse to leave. The seller doesn’t serve a notice, doesn’t go to court, and doesn’t confront anyone — that’s our job after closing.

What Florida law actually allows

Florida tightened its rules in 2024. Under s. 82.036, an owner (or their agent) can file a sworn complaint with the county sheriff to remove an unauthorized person from a residential property if, among other things, the person entered and stayed without permission on property that was not open to the public, was never a tenant under a rental agreement authorized by the owner, is not an owner or an immediate family member of the owner, and there is no pending litigation about the property. The owner files the prescribed form with a copy of their government ID; the sheriff verifies ownership and serves notice; the occupant must leave, and the owner pays the sheriff the fee for serving a writ of possession (plus an hourly standby charge if a deputy stays to keep the peace). The same law created new crimes for unlawfully occupying a dwelling and for fraudulently listing property for rent or sale. A person wrongfully removed can sue for triple the rent plus damages, so the sworn statement has to be accurate.

If the occupant was ever a tenant — even on a handshake — or is a relative who was allowed to live there, the sheriff route doesn’t apply. That’s a county court eviction (Chapter 83) or an ejectment action, with notices, filing, service, and a judge. In Pinellas and Hillsborough that typically takes several weeks to a few months, and it can be contested.

Which path applies depends on facts you may not know yet. That is exactly why selling to a buyer who does this routinely can be worth more to you than fighting it yourself.

Why you shouldn’t handle it yourself

• Self-help eviction is illegal in Florida. Changing locks, cutting power or water, or removing doors can make you liable for damages (Chapter 83 sets out specific penalties for tenants, and courts take it seriously for other occupants too).
• Confrontations go wrong. Occupants file false reports, damage houses, or simply refuse to answer the door for months.
• Insurance. Many policies limit or exclude coverage for a house occupied by someone who isn’t you or a lawful tenant. A fire or a slip-and-fall while a squatter is there can be a serious problem.
• Every month costs money. Taxes, insurance, a mortgage, code citations for the yard — all while you can’t use or sell the house normally.

What it costs you

Nothing out of pocket. Our offer reflects the condition of the house and the cost and time of regaining possession, and we explain that math. You pay no commission, no closing costs, and no attorney — ours handles the removal after we own it. If a tenant has a valid lease and is paying, we can also buy the house as a rental and simply keep them; see our rental property page.

We are a cash home buyer, not a law firm. This page is general information about Florida law and local process, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, talk to a Florida attorney — we work with several and are glad to make an introduction.