Squatting in England and Wales

In England and Wales, squatting – taking possession of land or an empty house the squatter does not own – is a criminal or civil offence, depending on circumstances. People squat for a variety of reasons which include needing a home,^[1] protest,^[2] poverty, and recreation.^[3] Many squats are residential; some are also opened as social centres. Land may be occupied by New Age travellers or treesitters.

There have been waves of squatting through British history. The BBC states that squatting was "a big issue in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and again for the Diggers in the 17th Century [who] were peasants who cultivated waste and common land, claiming it as their rightful due" and that squatting was a necessity after the Second World War when so many were homeless.^[4] A more recent wave began in the late 1960s in the midst of a housing crisis.

Many squatters legalised their homes or projects in the 1980s, for example Bonnington Square and Frestonia in London. More recently, there are still isolated examples such as the Invisible Circus in Bristol.

Under Section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, squatting in residential property became a criminal offence on 1 September 2012.^[5][6] Squatting in non-residential property may be a civil or a criminal matter, depending upon the circumstances,^[7] and repossession by the owners, occupiers or intended occupiers may require legal process or police action.