New York Governor Hochu signed the state’s new fiscal year budget on the morning of April 22, accompanied by amendments that exclude “squatters” from the definition of “tenants.” With this new budget, property owners will no longer need to go through the court process to evict squatters and can now directly call the police for eviction.
The 2025 fiscal year budget also includes amendments to property law, clearly stating that “squatters who occupy premises without permission are not considered tenants.” This new law takes immediate effect, allowing property owners to contact the police to intervene and evict unauthorized occupants without having to go through the housing court to apply for a warrant of eviction.
In recent times, there have been several incidents of house squatting in New York City. Under the current laws, anyone staying in a property for a period of 30 days has the right to remain there, known as “squatter’s rights.” This has led to squatters not only occupying the properties but also causing disturbances and even instances of violence. In Flushing, Queens, some property owners who tried to change the locks to evict squatters ended up being arrested after squatters reported them to the police, while in Manhattan, a property owner was tragically killed by squatters.
The public uproar sparked by a series of news reports resulted in at least four state legislators proposing anti-squatting bills. An agreement was reached at the last minute during budget negotiations last week to include these provisions in the budget.
One of the proposing legislators, State Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz, mentioned that it was the public pressure driven by media coverage that led to the swift inclusion of the amendment in the budget to exclude squatters from tenant rights, no longer offering them protection.
In addition to legal amendments, squatters have also been facing prosecution. The Flushing squatter faces five charges and could receive up to 15 years in prison, while the two suspects involved in the murder of the Manhattan property owner are facing a total of 20 charges, including murder.