the original link doesn’t work.
TBH I have a feeling this is the Torygraph trying to put words into Kenneth Clarke’s mouth and even he is angry enough at this to complain to the editor – whilst he certainly did say months ago that the squatting laws may be reassessed, in reality there are plenty of laws already to stop peoples homes or brand new expensive buildings being squatted especially if they are blatently broken into – and it is also already illegal to use any building (even by the householder with freehold ownership) for illegal or anti social purposes.
so any particular problems in local areas with squatters burgling new buildings (rather than taking over genuinely unused ones) or people targeting buy to let buildings between lets as a form of “activism” are a matter for the local community, the Police, the building owners and the private security industry to sort out.
I am suspicious about allegations that buy to let landlords are being targeted for squatting, I’m much more inclined to think its genuine mistakes made by sketchy drug users who are desparate for a home, coupled with slow progress of renovation work. Even so, Rentaguards barely get paid £8 an hour in some cases, and the cost of a decent CCTV setup is less than a months legitimate rent for any building worth protecting.
This does not need a change to the entire nations laws, especially from a govt claiming to “reduce red tape and legislation”.
