Rough Justice

In England and Wales, the term squatting usually refers to occupying an empty house in a city. The owner of the house must go through various legal proceedings before evicting squatters. Squatting is regarded in law as a civil, not a criminal, matter.[37] However, if there is evidence of forced entry, then this is regarded as criminal damage, and the police have the powers to remove the occupants. If the squatter legally occupies the house, then the owner must prove in court that they have a right to live in the property and that the squatter does not, while the squatter has the opportunity to claim there is not sufficient proof or that the proper legal steps have not been taken. In order to occupy a house legally, a squatter must have exclusive access to that property, that is, be able to open and lock an entrance. The property should be secure in the same way as a normal residence, with no broken windows or locks.

In 2003, it was estimated that there were 15,000 squatters in England and Wales.[38]

The legal process of eviction can take a month or longer, perhaps even years.

To show that the occupier of the squatted building is in fact in physical possession of the property, squatters often put up a legal warning known as a "Section 6", a copy of which is often displayed on the front door.[39] Doing so attempts to claim that there are people living there and they have a legal right to be there. It also claims that anyone —even the technical owner of the property—who tries to enter the building without permission is committing an offence. These claims are fallible following amendments to the law in 1994.[40]