'It would clog the courts up, and take years to get them out' warn authorities on the mass squatting of Cornish second homes

With so many second and holiday homes now squatted in Cornwall, it would take decades for the court system to be able to process any evictions, and that's if the owners even knew they had squatters, according to a leading expert on Cornish housing.

'Scenes in the press of entire families being thrown out onto the street would be a nightmare for any government,' claimed the expert. 'It makes one wonder whether tacitly the authorities are banking on the squatting families owning the property after a period of time, as squatting law stipulates.'

That staggering announcement comes in the same week as a national housing charity revealed that there were 5 times more empty houses in Cornwall than families and ordinary working people in need of accommodation. 'That's more than enough to go round,' commented the housing expert.

After months on the street, chef is 'overjoyed' with new squatted Cornish holiday home

A chef was last night treated to a home cooked meal and a warm bed, after 4 months living rough in his home Cornish village, thanks to making use of the squatting laws to legally enter and occupy a Cornish holiday home in his home village.

Prior to being homeless, the chef was living in a bed-sit, from which he was evicted after rejecting inappropriate advances from the male landlord, who had bought an estimated 6 properties in the village since moving to Cornwall 1 year ago.

'It was very disturbing for me. I was working a 60-hour week, then being stalked, harassed and threatened by the landlord. In the end I was evicted because I refused his advances. I ended up sleeping rough, and was too embarrassed about everything to tell anyone. I had to go to work early and wash in the staff toilet.

'I went to the council for help, and they directed me to a homeless shelter. But the staff there explained they couldn't help me because I was employed - they would only help people who were on benefits. I have always worked and paid taxes. In the end I was close to a breakdown, living like a wild animal, but then I noticed all these empty homes, hundreds of them. It didn't make sense. Why shouldn't I just move in to one?'

Many social and economic experts now agree the Cornish housing market has created the perfect environment for slavery, with those who do not own houses now at the whims and mercy of landowners, and that squatting second homes brings more rights than a rent-paying tenant.

For centuries, Cornish people have lived as tenants, paying affordable rents to the wealthy landowners. In recent years, the wealthy landowners in Cornwall have sold off property, leaving the Cornish priced out of the market or driven from their land.

Others argue that with no criminal checks on the new private landlords, the safety and security of tax-paying, law abiding tenants is at risk.

'I'm overjoyed. It's fantastic,’ said the chef of his new home. 'I would recommend squatting a second or holiday home in Cornwall to all working people who are sick and tired of the stress and misery caused by Cornwall's housing crisis.'

Luxury housing development - squatted by Cornish students 2 hours after coming onto the market

In a staggering display of bravado, a group of eighteen students legally occupied 3 newly completed detached luxury houses in a discreet rural location in West Cornwall on Sunday afternoon.

When approached by Rentfreecornwall, the students claimed that they could not afford anywhere to live, and dismissed suggestions that they were less worthy of squatting than local Cornish families.

'We have to pay out thousands of pounds on tuition fees, loans, tax, and costs associated with our coursework. Whilst a minority of students have wealthy parents and drive around in expensive cars, the rest of us mostly have to hold down a number of part time jobs to make ends meet. As soon as we graduate, the Government then expects us to spend the next 50 years paying off all the loans and at the same trying to find somewhere to live.'

The so-called IPOD (Insecure, Pressurised, Over-taxed and Debt ridden) generation is a relatively modern phenomenon, with many critics of the British housing market arguing a new peasant class is emerging within the Middle and Working classes.

Brazenly, the students had posed as potential buyers for the properties in order to do a 'reccie.'

'It was easy to find a suitable house to squat. The greedy property developers have flashy web sites, with all the information you need,' claimed a student. 'We did it by post code, though we would have prefered somewhere a bit nearer the coast.'

Added another: 'We plan to grow our own vegetables in the garden; that should save us more money. We're proud to be part of a new emerging frugal generation, that simply will not tolerate being shoved about for the amusement of selfish land barons.'

Uproar as Dutch conglomerate buys up 25 Cornish properties, turfs out tenants, closes Post Office

Villagers in North Cornwall were left reeling yesterday, as over 20 families were handed notices of eviction by a foreign property development company. A busy post office in the isolated rural village was also purchased, which the Netherlands-based company intends to convert into holiday flats.


The distraught families were all renting the properties, and due to out of control house price inflation couldn't afford to buy a home of their own. The soon to be evicted tenants have so far been refused help by the council, due to a massive shortfall in social or affordable housing.

Alarmingly, some members of the families now face being put into care by social services, while their parents have been directed to overnight hostel accommodation.

It is thought that most of the affected families, who are all local, will also lose their jobs.

The Dutch company behind the fiasco have so far refused to speak to Rentfreecornwall, but our sources indicate the company are also in line to receive around £4million of EU subsidy to convert the former residential properties into expensive holiday homes, a wine bar, and a leisure club.

As the poorest part of the United Kingdom, Cornwall is entitled to EU Objective One funding, although critics of the scheme insist the funds are often mis-managed.

Later in the day a villager approached Rentfreecornwall, and declared: 'The greed in this country is out of control. I can assure you that the whole village will rally behind these evicted local working families, and re-house them ourselves, in empty Cornish holiday homes.'

Houses are homes again! - Entire street of Cornish holiday cottages occupied by locals

In one village on the coast of Cornwall last week, villagers were celebrating after an entire street of second homes were legally occupied by ordinary working families who were no longer prepared to subsidise the mortgages of wealthy landlords.

On Saturday, in scenes more familiar with a Jubilee street party, the usually sterile, sinister atmosphere of a silent row of empty Cornish cottages was buzzing with laughter, cheers and activity as crowds gathered to watch and assist groups of locals - forced away by spiralling rental prices - return to their area of employment to live.



'It's like a revolution for common sense' commented a local clergyman. 'I have come to view squatting a holiday home as a means for survival for people, moral, and perfectly legal as they intend to cause no damage, pay all their utilities, and ensure they comply with the law. What's more, these people, through no fault of their own, are the victims of a massive gambling cartel - that is, the British housing market.'

Though it may come as a surprise to some, Rentfreecornwall can reveal that none of the squatted Cornish holiday homes were owned by individual people, but a property holdings company based in Guernsey. A spokesman for the multi million pound investment company seemed rather lacklustre upon hearing of the mass squatting of the Cornish houses:

'I'm sorry but we really don't have much to say. Our clients simply invest in real estate - it doesn't bother us if, as you say, these properties are being squatted - or not. We'd only take action if we needed to sell them, but the market is strong, and we estimate prices will continue to rise.'

'Really, it would be too much of a hassle right now,' he added.

Despite the flurry of activity over the weekend, by Monday the squatted terrace was silent, with most of the occupants out at work at nearby businesses or putting the finishing touches to their new homes.

Hounded out by wealthy second home owners - the working lad who spent £1000s doing up empty derelict Cornish property

Local working person spends thousands of pounds renovating empty derelict Cornish house, behaves legally and honourably,

and then:

gets hounded out by wealthy second home owners

Although we will link to appropriate press reports that are already made public, rentfreecornwall will never breach the trust and confidentiality of the people we interview.