page_title: Squatting in England and Wales
section_title: Legality
hierarchical_section_title: Squatting in England and Wales / Legality
caption_attribution_description: English: A long-vacant property in Oxford, once occupied by squatters when owned by University College.
context_page_description: Squatting in England and Wales usually refers to a person who is not the owner, taking possession of land or an empty house. People squat for a variety of reasons which include needing a home, protest,
  poverty, and recreation. Many squats are residential, some are also opened as social centres. Land may be occupied by New Age travellers or treesitters.
  There have been waves of squatting through British history. The BBC states that squatting was "a big issue in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and again for the Diggers in the 17th Century [who] were peasants who cultivated waste and common land, claiming it as their rightful due" and that squatting was a necessity after the Second World War when so many were homeless. A more recent wave began in the late 1960s in the midst of a housing crisis.
  Many squatters legalised their homes or projects in the 1980s, for example Bonnington Square and Frestonia in London. More recently, there are still isolated examples such as the Invisible Circus in Bristol.
  Under Section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, squatting in residential property became a criminal offence on 1 September 2012.
caption: A property in Oxford owned by University College which has been occupied by squatters (2000s).
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