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A long-term squatter can become the registered owner of property or land they鈥檝e occupied without the owner鈥檚 permission.

Who can apply

You can apply if you can prove:

• you, or a succession of squatters, have occupied the property continuously for 10 years (12 years if it鈥檚 not registered with HM Land Registry)
• you (or your predecessors) acted as owners of the property for the whole of that time
• you (or any of your predecessors) did not have the owner鈥檚 permission, for example the property was not originally rented to a squatter

If the property鈥檚 registered

Fill in a form for adverse possession.

Complete and sign a written 鈥榮tatement of truth鈥�, or get a solicitor to prepare this for you.

Send your form and statement to the HM Land Registry Citizen Centre.

HM Land Registry will decide if your application is valid and will let the property owner know. The owner has 65 days to object - your application will usually be automatically rejected if they do.

You鈥檒l be registered as the owner of the property if there鈥檚 no objection.

You can apply again after 2 years if:

• the owner has not tried to remove you
• the property has not been reclaimed
• you鈥檙e still in possession of the property

HM Land Registry will usually then register you as the owner.

If the property鈥檚 unregistered

Complete and sign a written 鈥榮tatement of truth鈥�, or get a solicitor to prepare this for you.

Apply for first registration - include your statement with your application.

HM Land Registry will:

• inspect the property - you must pay a fee for this
• decide if your application is valid
• let the property owner know, if they have their details

You can try to come to an agreement with the owners if they object. HM Land Registry will arrange a tribunal to decide who owns the property if you cannot agree or do not want to.

You may have to pay the costs of the owner, such as their reasonable legal fees, no matter what the outcome.