Squatting is the occupation of a building or land illegally.
 

While this can be done on any sort of property it is most commonly done in unoccupied housing.


Sometimes this can be vacant or abandoned houses, but it can also be the house of someone who is away on vacation.

When someone squats in your property, it can cause significant trouble.

The act of squatting is often a crime, posing serious consequences for those who commit it.

In Nevada, squatting is codified as Unlawful Occupancy under Nevada Revised Statute 205.0817.

It is legally defined as “A person who takes up residence in an uninhabited or vacant dwelling and knows or has reason to believe that such residence is without permission of the owner of the dwelling or an authorized representative of the owner is guilty of unlawful occupancy.”
 

For those who are duped in a scam where someone purports to rent a home that they in fact do not own, tenants are not guilty of the crime.

But here’s the catch: they won’t be guilty of a crime as long as they had an honest belief that the person renting out the property was authorized to do so.

To protect against false claims, the code requires landlords to obtain a notarized permit to manage the property, which must include the address and phone number of the agent or actual owner.

Violating this requirement constitutes a misdemeanor in Nevada.

In Las Vegas, this regulation extends to encampments adjacent to residential properties if space is available at the Courtyard Homeless Resource Center or a public emergency shelter within the city.

The penalty for violating this provision includes a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months.

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