{"id":7353,"date":"2025-10-17T08:13:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T08:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/?post_type=insight&p=7353"},"modified":"2025-10-17T08:13:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T08:13:05","slug":"squat-est-ce-que-je-peux-faire-du-squat-dans-des-locaux-commerciaux","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/fr\/perspectives\/squat-est-ce-que-je-peux-faire-du-squat-dans-des-locaux-commerciaux\/","title":{"rendered":"Que dois-je faire ? - Squatters dans les propri\u00e9t\u00e9s commerciales\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

A nightmare scenario many landlords fear is squatters breaking into their commercial premises<\/a>, settling, and refusing to vacate without a court order.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 De nombreux squatteurs savent souvent tr\u00e8s bien ce qu\u2019ils font et connaissent leurs droits. Les propri\u00e9taires peuvent constater que les squatteurs ont appos\u00e9 sur la porte une sorte d\u2019avis indiquant \u2018IL S'AGIT D'UN IMMEUBLE NON R\u00c9SIDENTIEL \u2013 L'article 144 de la loi LAPSO ne s'applique PAS<\/em>\u2019 – and they\u2019d be right<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quelles sont les options qui s'offrent aux propri\u00e9taires ?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first port of call for most landlords is, naturally, to call the police. However, most find that the police va<\/a> not get involved unless what\u2019s known as an \u2018interim possession order\u2019 (\u201cIPO\u201d) has been obtained from the court. An IPO carries a penal notice that allows the police to remove the squatters if they have not vacated the propri\u00e9t\u00e9<\/a> within 24 hours of the order having been made and served on the squatters. The Squatters could therefore be arrested and face criminal<\/a> punishment such as fines, or even imprisonment, if they do not vacate.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, a landlord<\/a> can either initiate possession proceedings against trespassers in the \u2018standard\u2019 fashion, or, if they meet the criteria, seek an IPO. If they seek an IPO, they must act fast as the application must be made within 28 days of knowledge<\/a> of the squatting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le crit\u00e8re juridique<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 Une introduction en bourse ne peut \u00eatre autoris\u00e9e que si : <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1)\u00a0the claimant is only seeking possession. A claimant cannot seek an IPO if there is a claim for another<\/a> remedy<\/a> (e.g. damages); and<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) le demandeur dispose d'un droit imm\u00e9diat \u00e0 la jouissance du bien et a b\u00e9n\u00e9fici\u00e9 de ce droit pendant toute la dur\u00e9e de l'occupation illicite ; et\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3)\u00a0the defendants<\/a> entered the premises as trespassers.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common misconception is that the legal test for propri\u00e9t\u00e9 commerciale<\/a> owners obtaining an IPO is the same as obtaining a standard<\/a> possession order against trespassers – after all, a squatter is a trespasser, and to obtain an IPO, the individuals in question have to have entered the property as trespassers (as above). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, ce n'est pas le cas. Pour obtenir une ordonnance de reprise de possession standard \u00e0 l'encontre d'occupants ill\u00e9gaux (qui n'entra\u00eene pas les m\u00eames sanctions p\u00e9nales en cas de non-respect), il suffit que le propri\u00e9taire dispose d'un droit de reprise de possession (et non d'un droit imm\u00e9diat). Ce n'est pas le cas pour l'obtention d'une ordonnance de reprise de possession imm\u00e9diate (IPO).   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Droit imm\u00e9diat \u00e0 la prise de possession et probl\u00e8mes potentiels<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An immediate right to possession means one can claim a full right to possession and there are no superseding legal interests that stand<\/a> in their way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lacunes dans l'enregistrement<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Un probl\u00e8me tout \u00e0 fait pr\u00e9visible auquel un propri\u00e9taire peut \u00eatre confront\u00e9 est le suivant : il ach\u00e8te un bien immobilier et entreprend imm\u00e9diatement des travaux de d\u00e9mant\u00e8lement et de r\u00e9am\u00e9nagement avant de le relouer. Les locaux commerciaux vacants faisant l'objet de travaux de d\u00e9mant\u00e8lement, qui ressemblent \u00e0 des chantiers et ne sont pas enti\u00e8rement s\u00e9curis\u00e9s, constituent des cibles de choix pour les squatteurs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue a landlord might face is that it can take many, many months for HMLR to complete the application to register the landlords proprietorship. During this period, known as a registration gap, the landlord is the beneficial<\/a> owner of the property and do not hold an immediate right to possession, until the registration is completed (and the registration gap ends) at which point they become the legal registered owner.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dans ce cas pr\u00e9cis, le tribunal exigera probablement que l'enregistrement soit effectif ; il est donc essentiel que les demandeurs acc\u00e9l\u00e8rent toute proc\u00e9dure d'enregistrement et soient pr\u00eats \u00e0 produire des copies \u00e0 jour issues du registre foncier (HMLR) au plus tard le jour de l'audience. \u00c0 d\u00e9faut, ils risquent que le juge consid\u00e8re que le propri\u00e9taire inscrit est la seule partie ayant droit \u00e0 la possession imm\u00e9diate, ce qui pourrait entra\u00eener le rejet de la demande.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contrats de location<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What often precedes vacant possession is the surrender of a Lease<\/a>. Similarly with registration gaps, it can take HMLR many months to complete an application to remove the Lease from the register. In this instance, the court may consider the Landlord does not have the right to immediate possession and in fact it is the Lessee with this right. Again, it is vital the Landlord expedites any application to remove the Lease from the title or risk the judge taking this view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

IPO\u2019s are brilliant tools for removing<\/a> squatters quickly, however Landlords need to act fast and ensure they hit the procedural<\/a> requirements<\/a>. The penal notice IPO\u2019s carry mean judges can often take an even more cautious approach to that of standard possession claims<\/a>, so Landlords need to make sure everything is in place, and they are satisfied of their immediate right to possession. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, the IPO is only (by name) an interim order, and the possession order is not made final until the return date. As part of the prescribed form of application and witness statement, Landlords will give a number<\/a> of undertakings \u2013 another distinct difference from the standard possession route \u2013 of which includes undertakings not to re-let or damage the property until the possession claim has been decided. Landlords therefore need to ensure they are not breaching any of the undertakings they have given in this interim period, and it is advisable they see the process through to a final order to avoid doubt, even in the event the squatters vacate following the IPO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For any further information, or if you are a landlord who finds themselves in a situation where squatters have settled in your property, please reach out to the team<\/a>: Harry Medway at h.medway@rfblegal.co.uk<\/a>, Rudi Ramdarshan \u00e0 l'adresse r.ramdarshan@rfblegal.co.uk<\/a>, Ben Frost \u00e0 b.frost@rfblegal.co.uk<\/a> ou Victoria Huxley \u00e0 l'adresse v.huxley@rfblegal.co.uk<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c9crit par Harry Medway. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":7354,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[34,28],"class_list":["post-7353","insight","type-insight","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commercial-litigation","tag-exeter-office","tag-solicitors-barristers-conveyencers"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t