ATLANTA — An Atlanta-based rental company with hundreds of homes for rent in the metro area announced they’d be teaming up with local law enforcement agencies to stop illegal trespassers from squatting in the homes they manage.
The effort is intended to “combat a growing trend that is bringing criminal activity to local communities.”
FirstKey Homes told Channel 2 investigative reporter Justin Gray that they’ll be working closely with local law enforcement and county judicial systems to curb the growing presence of trespassers who are illegally occupying rental homes across the region.
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“We are proud to work closely with local law enforcement and Atlanta area county judicial systems on this important mission of keeping our communities safe,” said Colleen Keating, Chief Executive Officer of FirstKey Homes. “Trespassers can harm neighborhoods and reduce the availability of much-needed housing, which is why we take this so seriously here in Atlanta and across the country.”
The company said trespassers who occupy the rental homes in question “leave behind a trail of neglect,” leading to expensive repairs and lowering property values. FirstKey Homes said oftentimes, the trespassers illegally access vacant properties through a variety of aggressive tactics, from breaking windows to stealing keys out of lockboxes or tampering with locks.
A Channel 2 Action News investigation has reported several stories of squatters and trespassers getting into homes and following our reporting, Georgia lawmakers have worked to change laws on squatting.
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FirstKey Homes said in some instances, trespassers might not even know they’re in a home illegally because “some scammers have gotten sophisticated enough to gain access to a home and then offer it for rent” with fake lease agreements and documents.
Recent reporting by Channel 2′s Tom Regan focused on a homeowner in DeKalb County who left town to take care of his sick wife and said squatters broke into his vacant rental house and changed the locks.
As a result, FirstKey Homes said they work to help potential residents avoid rental scams and perform frequent inspections of vacant homes to address how this critical issue is impacting neighbors and other prospective renters.
The company told Gray they are working with their industry trade group, the National Rental Home Council, to strengthen state laws and introduce new legislation to prevent trespassers and intruders, including in Georgia.
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