The National Assembly during the examination of a bill of the presidential majority voted, this Friday, in favor of the tripling of the sanctions incurred by the squatters.
They now face up to three years in prison.
This measure, which is one of the key provisions of a text aimed at better protecting landlords against unpaid rent, was adopted with 25 votes to 3.
In reality, it aligns the sanctions against squatters with those currently targeting an "owner who changes the lock", i.e. up to 3 years' imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros, defended the rapporteur, the Macronist deputy Guillaume Kasbarian .
To cover all cases, and not just "violation of domicile", another provision adopted created an offense of occupation without right or title, including premises for economic use, as requested by the LR group .
In addition, another article increases the penalties for those who pose as a landlord for the purpose of renting property.
Guillaume Kasbarian maintained that the objective of the text was above all to protect “small owners who do not roll on gold” sometimes finding themselves confronted with long years of legal proceedings to regain the use of their property.
For its part, the left remained headwind against an "anti-tenant" law and the "criminalization of all poorly housed".
In particular, she criticizes the text for being able to put tenants weakened by inflation and rising energy bills on the street.
"We talk a lot about squatters, but most of the people who will be impacted are people who have regularly entered a dwelling with a lease and who find themselves in eviction proceedings because of unpaid rent", lambasted MP LFI William Martinet.
