Searches for 'squatters insurance' in the US have spiked - but how easy is it to get cover for home invaders as squatting cases spiral out of control?

Squatting is an increasing concern for homeowners across the US. 

Just this week, two alleged squatters were forced to flee from a home in Queens, New York City, after being confronted by the media.

It came after the homeowner was shockingly arrested after a heated disagreement with the squatters, who were claiming tenant rights at the $1 million property.

The incident was just the latest in a string of stand-offs across the country, with homeowners growing increasingly frustrated by laws that make it difficult - and extremely costly - to remove unwanted inhabitants from their property.  

Searches for 'squatter insurance' and 'squatters coverage' are at an all-time high, according to personal finance site Homeowner. 

But only one insurance company currently offers protection against unwanted home invaders. And it is only for those who offer their homes up for short-term rental.

A property in Queens, New York, was at the center of a dispute this week

Squatter's rights is a common law principle where unauthorized intruders exploit legal loopholes in an attempt to assert residency of unoccupied homes. 

In order to evict a squatter, homeowners face significant financial losses in the form of legal fees, potential property damage and lost income.

Evicting squatters can also be a months-long and arduous process, due to backlogs in the courts and overwhelmed police forces across the country. 

Reports of angry homeowners being helpless to remove squatters from their home have been booming in recent months, with some 'serial squatters' refusing to leave residences for over a year.

And the problem is increasingly affecting those who rent out property on platforms Airbnb or Vrbo. 

Americans are running the risk of having a guest overstay their welcome - and becoming a legal and financial headache. 

'Tenant from hell' Elizabeth Hirschhorn made headlines last year when she refused to pay rent for a luxury California Airbnb rental for 570 days.

Homeowner Adele Andaloro ended up being arrested after a heated disagreement with squatters at her $1 million home

A woman left Andolaro's property in Flushing, Queens, earlier this week covering her face

Currently, Proper Insurance is the only company which offers specific coverage against squatters. 

The company, which is based in Bozeman, Montana, specializes in insurance for short-term rentals. 

The company introduced the add-on a few years ago in response to demand from short-term rental owners, Graham Anderson, director of claims at Proper Insurance, told DailyMail.com.

Proper Insurance added squatter coverage in response to demand from short-term rental owners, said Graham Anderson, director of claims

Since the company introduced the add-on, the take rate has been very high, he said, and the number of claims has also been on the up.

'A lot of people who own these short-term rental properties don't realize that you need a specialty policy or that it's very helpful to have one,' he said. 

'People get caught out all the time for not realizing they need specific and special coverage.'

The lost revenue that an Airbnb host could face if they have an issue with a squatter could be really significant, he added. 

Proper Insurance offers $10,000 in coverage for lost rental income, and $5,000 in coverage for legal expenses. 

Bu the cost of evicting a squatter can vary hugely by state and circumstance, and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases. 

One homeowner was forced to sell his home as he could no longer cope with the fact that someone could stay at his property for so long and he was incurring such a loss, said Anderson. 

Proper Insurance is the only company which currently offers squatters cover, but Anderson is not positive that other companies will be able to follow in its footsteps for the time being. 

'Historically insurance companies - especially large insurance companies - are slow to make those changes,' he told DailyMail.com. 

'Unfortunately state regulations make it difficult for companies to be agile and make changes, even if they want to.'

According to data from the National Rental Home Council, Atlanta, Georgia, is the epicenter of the squatting crisis, with 1,200 homes currently illegally occupied. 

One squat in the Georgia city was even being run as illegal secret strip club and had to be cleared out by an entire FBI swat team. 

Dallas, Texas, is the second biggest hotspot, with an estimated 475 homes taken over by squatters. 

Local attorney Craig Novak told DailyMail.com he has seen cases surge by around a third in the last year, driven by a rise in what he calls 'professional tenants' - those who 'make their living off landlords'.

'These are people that know the property code, as well as some attorneys, and they know how to play the game,' he said.

A squatter with a lengthy-criminal history was evicted from a $500,000 Atlanta-area home after he moved in while the home's owner, an Army officer, was away on active duty

Exclusive photos show the property at 4951 Wewatta Street in South Fulton, Atlanta - where four squatters were said to have run an illegal strip club

Orange County, Florida, currently has 125 squatting cases on its hands, according to the NHRC, which added that larger homes are increasingly being targeted.

The most commonly captured properties have three to four bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to the trade association. 

And in some places, the problem has reached a breaking point where desperate homeowners are turning to vigilantes who pledge to confront the squatters head on. 

Flash Shelton, from San Fernando Valley, California, has seen a huge rise in demand for his services as a 'squatter hunter', which include offers to remove illegal tenants personally. 

But experts warn that this vigilante approach could lead to violence.

Flash, who works a day job is as a handyman, first took on a squatter in 2019 when he needed to remove a woman who broke into his late mother's home.

In the last year, he has carried out hundreds of Zoom consultations, where he talks homeowners through potential strategies to rid themselves of their unwanted guests.

He also offers to do the job himself, for a minimum cost of $5,000. 

He told DailyMail.com that his favorite method is a 'lock out', where he gets the landlord to draw up a lease making him the tenant. 

Then he stakes out the home, and when the squatter leaves the property he enters and changes the locks.