Overview
Following a surge of state activity in 2024 and 2025, states have continued to enact anti-squatting laws at a steady pace. Eight states have enacted legislation since our last update in mid-2025, and twenty-five have introduced or considered legislation in 2026 thus far.
Unauthorized occupants in vacant units pose significant safety concerns and costs on rental communities. Properties may be at risk of property damage, lost rent, and liability concerns with few and lengthy legal processes to remove these occupants. Anti-squatting laws provide housing providers, and often law enforcement, with greater tools to address unauthorized occupants in vacant homes, ranging from expedited removal processes to criminalization.
To date, twenty-eight states have enacted laws addressing squatting.
The Big Picture
Texas, North Carolina, Illinois, Oregon, Kansas, Mississippi, and Arizona have enacted new laws since June, 2025. Most recently, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a comprehensive anti-squatting bill, which includes an expedited ejectment process, on June 30, 2026.
Legislative trends largely mirror those identified last year. These include streamlined removal processes (OR, KS, AZ, SC), clearer statutory distinctions for unauthorized occupants (AZ, SC), and new or expanded criminal penalties (SC). These laws are often paired with safeguards against wrongful removals (KS, SC).
Of note, some states are enacting legislation targeting housing fraud. In Florida, lawmakers just created a new felony offense for fraudulent entry into residential property. Kentucky enacted broader real estate fraud legislation targeting fraudulent transactions. These actions suggest an emerging focus on combatting fraud that may be adjacent to or even facilitate squatting.
On the federal side, on June 26, Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) introduced federal anti-squatting legislation, The Protecting Homeowners from Squatters Act. The bill would direct the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to withhold Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from local governments that "permit squatting" or provide tenant-like protections to squatters. It would also prohibit certain forms of federal mortgage support, including FHA-insured, VA-guaranteed, USDA-backed and GSE-backed loans, in those jurisdictions. The bill is notable for using federal housing and mortgage programs as leverage to influence local anti-squatting policies.
Affiliate Advocacy & Looking Ahead
Several of these bills provide insight into the continued policymaking developing around the country:
Kansas (HB 2378)
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Affidavit-based, expedited removal process executed by law enforcement
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Includes protections for wrongful removals for law enforcement, tenants
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Approved by Governor on April 6. Effective upon publication in statute
Jason Grill, the Apartment Association of Kansas City’s Managing Director of Government Affairs, noted that the law “provides for an expedited process for removing unlawful squatters, while also protecting against abuse,” adding that its strong bipartisan passage – “114-8 in the House and 39-1 in the Senate” - signals a “significant step in Kansas property law and could serve as a national model.”
Arizona (SB 1426)
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Adds squatting to the definition of forcible detainer
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Requires writ of restitution immediately after judgment in forcible detainer action, accelerating process
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Approved by Governor on May 29. Effective in September 2026
Courtney LeVinus, President/CEO of the Arizona Multihousing Association, said that “property owners deserve a clear path to remove people who are unlawfully occupying their homes, and that’s exactly what SB 1426 was designed to do,” while stressing the final bill “doesn’t change the rights or protections for property owners and residents that already exist under Arizona law.”
Oregon (HB 3522)
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Allows owners to initiate removal process after 24-hour written notice
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Approved by Governor on June 20, 2025. Effective January 1, 2026
Jonathan Clay, Multifamily NW’s Government & Public Affairs Manager, shared that in 2025 the legislature “passed HB 3522 that attempted to streamline the squatter process within the courts.” He noted that legislative efforts will continue, and that “Multifamily NW will run a more robust squatter bill in 2027 to improve trespass enforcement” so “properties can be returned far sooner without lengthy delay of the courts.”
South Carolina (H 3387)
- Creates expedited ejectment process for unlawful occupants
- Adds new criminal penalties
- Signed by Governor on June 30. In effect
The South Carolina Apartment Association (SCAA) shared that it “engaged early and thoughtfully” on anti-squatter legislation during the 2025-2026 session to ensure the procedures proposed were as “streamlined and effective as possible” for property owners. Additionally, SCAA was “instrumental in removing a provision that would have required a unit sit vacant and unleased for three months in order to trigger the anti-squatting law.”
NAA Outlook
Squatting continues to pose a significant risk to the rental industry, infringing on the rights of housing providers and residents alike. Fortunately, states across the country continue to take steps to address the issue. The National Apartment Association (NAA) is grateful to its affiliate partners across the country for ensuring that the industry’s perspective is heard and represented in legislative conversations. NAA will continue to advocate for federal policy that helps housing providers’ ability to provide quality, affordable housing.
For more timely updates on the industry’s advocacy and legal news, register for our monthly Advocacy and Legal Webinar (ALW) series and tune in every third Wednesday of the month at 2pm ET. This webinar is exclusively for NAA members and affiliate partners.