How to Get Rid of Squatters — Sacramento Property Owner's Playbook
Californian squatters can claim tenancy in as little as 30 days. Here's the fast, legal way to remove them — and how our overnight patrols keep new squatters out.
Sacramento's vacancy problem gives squatters a menu. The moment they receive mail at your address, run a utility bill, or install a lock, California treats them as tenants — which forces a 30-90 day unlawful detainer instead of a same-day trespass arrest.
The window to remove squatters without a lawsuit is short. If you can prove they arrived within the last 24 hours and never received mail, Sacramento PD will treat it as PC §602 trespass and can remove them on the spot. Miss that window and you're in civil court.
Our unarmed patrol team is the buffer that keeps you inside the trespass window. We catch squatters within hours — not weeks — by running photo-verified checkpoints every night your property sits vacant.
What we actually do
- Same-night property lock-down — board-up, re-key, motion signage
- Photo-timestamped trespass notice served on the door (PC §602)
- Coordinated PD hand-off with your incident number ready
- 30-min interior sweeps until you're re-tenanted
- Turnover reports formatted for your attorney if it escalates
FAQ — how to get rid of squatters
- How long before a squatter becomes a tenant in California?
- There's no bright-line rule, but courts weigh evidence of residency — mail addressed to them, utilities in their name, a lock they installed, or 30+ days of occupancy. The safer you play it, the shorter the removal window: catch them in the first 24 hours and it's PC §602 trespass, not tenancy.
- Can Sacramento police remove squatters?
- Only if the responding officer decides it's trespass, not a civil landlord-tenant dispute. That decision hinges on evidence — your title, timestamped photos of their arrival, and a first-hand witness. Our patrol reports are built to support that call.
- How much does a squatter removal service cost?
- Our vacant-property patrols start at $15/night. That's the deterrent piece. The legal removal itself — attorney fees for unlawful detainer if it goes civil — runs $1,500–$5,000 in Sacramento. The cheap part is preventing the tenancy claim from ever forming.
- What if squatters change the locks?
- Do not force entry. Call us to document the changed locks, then file with Sacramento PD. Self-help lockouts are illegal in California even against a squatter, and one bad move converts your criminal case into a civil one you'll pay to unwind.
Related Sacramento problems we solve
Stop dealing with it. Start dispatching us.
Marked SUV. Uniformed officer. Photo-verified reports. From $15/night.
Call (530) 902-9390