Squatter Headlines Are Just the Surface Problem
The real issue is what happens when an empty or tenant-occupied house, a distant owner, slow systems, and confusing laws all collide.
Every week, we get calls from people who own a house they’re not living in: out-of-state heirs, burned-out landlords, owners mid-renovation, parents moving to care facilities, people relocating who “just needed a few months” to figure things out.
Most of them have done nothing “wrong.” They simply:
- Left a house vacant longer than planned.
- Live hours—or flights—away from the property.
- Are navigating probate, title questions, or a messy tenant situation.
- Are already stressed by rates, inflation, and life events.
That combination creates what we call squatter risk—not just of actual squatters, but of unauthorized occupants, deed scams, vandalism, unpaid taxes, and slow-moving legal processes that eat your time and equity.
Our goal with the 2026 Squatter Risk Index™ is simple: give you a single number and a clear playbook instead of another scary headline.
The Four Pillars Behind the Score
SRI isn’t a scare number. It’s a composite of the four realities that actually drive risk when nobody sleeps in a house full-time.
The Squatter Risk Index™ combines four pillars:
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Occupancy & Vacancy Profile
Is the property truly vacant, tenant-occupied, used as a short-term rental, or stuck mid-renovation? How long has it been that way? Every extra month of vacancy increases exposure. -
Distance & Oversight
How far are you from the house—same city, same state, out-of-state, or overseas? Who has eyes on it weekly? Professional management and trusted neighbors matter. -
Paperwork & Legal Complexity
Is title clean and current, or tangled up in probate, multiple heirs, old liens, or existing unauthorized occupants? The more complex the paperwork, the more “air pockets” there are for problems. -
Security & Neighborhood Signal
Does the property look obviously empty? Are there cameras, lights, regular cars in the driveway? Do neighbors and opportunists know the house is sitting?
Those four pillars sit on top of the wider macro environment: rate spreads, investor appetite, and seller psychology—tracked in our Home Sale Sentiment API (HSS-API) 2026, Mortgage Spread Watch, and From iBuyer Winter to PropTech 2.0.
Where Squatter Risk Tends to Spike First
We don’t rank states by “good” or “bad.” We look at combinations of vacancy, distance, legal friction, and investor liquidity.
Some markets are simply more forgiving than others when it comes to vacancy, unauthorized occupants, and the time it takes to regain control. Laws differ, enforcement differs, and so does the “word on the street” about whether a house is a soft target.
Here’s a high-level, educational-only view of how SRI tends to cluster by region:
| Region (Sample States) | Baseline SRI Band | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Sunbelt & Coastal Risk Corridors (FL, CA, AZ, NV, TX coastal metros) |
High SRI | Higher visibility of vacancy, vacation/second homes, insurance & weather risk, stronger investor presence and online “how-to” chatter around squatters. |
| Big Metros & High-Rent Cities (NYC, LA, SF, Seattle, Chicago, Boston) |
High SRI | Complex tenant laws, slower timelines, and meaningful incentives for bad actors in high-rent environments. |
| Midwest & Heartland Suburbs (MN, OH, IN, MI, WI, MO) |
Medium SRI | Risk is very local: block-by-block differences in oversight, community, and enforcement. Great operators can drive risk down. |
| Rural & Small-Town Markets | Medium SRI | Lower headline crime but fewer neighbors and slower discovery of problems. Distance from owner and lack of professional management matter a lot. |
| Professionally Managed & Owner-Lived | Lower SRI | Regular eyes on the property, clean paperwork, and clear local contacts for contractors and emergencies keep risk in check. |
Four Scenarios We See Every Week (And What Smart Owners Do)
Each scenario has a different SRI profile—and a different best move. The worst move is to ignore the risk until a stranger has the keys.
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Out-of-State Heir With a Vacant House
A parent, grandparent, or relative passes. The house is now yours—and maybe a sibling’s. Nobody lives there, probate is in motion, the grass is getting long, and mail is piling up.
Risk pattern: High SRI if nobody local is checking on the home regularly and the title path isn’t clear. -
Burned-Out Landlord With Non-Paying or Problem Tenants
Rents were supposed to be passive income. Instead, you’re dealing with late or missing payments, damage, complaints, and a constant fear of “what if they stop paying entirely?”
Risk pattern: Medium to High SRI, depending on your local laws and how easy it is to legally regain possession. Our We Buy Tenant-Occupied Homes guide breaks down your options if you don’t want to be in the eviction business anymore. -
Relocation / “We’ll Rent It Out Later” Owner
You moved for work or life, planning to turn the old house into a rental “soon.” Months later, it’s still sitting empty, half-packed, with utilities ping-ponging between on and off.
Risk pattern: SRI climbs with every extra month of vacancy, especially if you’re in another state or time zone. -
DIY Flip or Half-Finished Renovation
You started a project with good intentions. Costs went up, contractor disappeared, or life changed. The house is now a construction site that nobody truly owns day-to-day.
Risk pattern: Medium SRI that can jump quickly if work stops and the property clearly looks abandoned.
- Eyes on the property: neighbor, manager, or local partner.
- Paperwork clarity: title, probate, and who’s allowed to make decisions.
- Timeline: are you holding “just in case,” or with an actual plan and exit date?
What Owners Ask Us Before They Hand Over the Keys
You’re not the first person to Google “Can squatters really take my house?” Here’s how we answer—minus the clickbait.