squatter

/ˈskwɑdər/

/ˈskwɒtə/

Other forms: squatters

A squatter is someone who lives on unoccupied land or in a vacant building without permission from the owner.

Some squatters move into abandoned homes because they have nowhere else to live, while others are part of social movements that see squatting as a response to political and economic systems that have made housing inaccessible for many. While in some places it's a crime to be a squatter, other jurisdictions view squatting as a conflict between the squatter and the owner. An earlier definition of squatter was "settler who doesn't (yet) have a title to the land."

Definitions of squatter

1. noun

   someone who settles on land without right or title
   type of:

   interloper, intruder, trespasser

   someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
2. noun

   someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
   synonyms: homesteader, nester

   type of:

   colonist, settler

   a person who settles in a new colony or moves into new country