Adverse possession can protect the tenant and let them claim rights to your property. However, they must have a color of title and occupy the property for seven years or have occupied that property for 10 years in good faith.Likewise, there are other rules in place for adverse possession, such as: Hostile - No permission from the rightful owner, Continuous - Living at the property for 10 full years, Exclusive - No other parties occupy the property, Open and Notorious - Not hiding the occupancy and using it as an owner would, Actual - Exercising control over that property.