The national conversation around “squatters” has reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, spurred by conflicts that have gone viral and legislative actions in at least four states.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) last week signed a bill aimed at giving Floridian homeowners, as he put it, “the ability to quickly and legally remove a squatter from a property,” while Georgia, South Carolina and New York have introduced legislation cracking down on people who illegally take over homes.

Squatting is extremely rare, according to experts — so rare that there is no reliable data available on the number of squatters across the country. But with a handful of high-profile cases of property owners going to court to evict illegal residents, a right-wing media frenzy and the introduction of state bills, the topic has become ubiquitous.

Here’s what you need to know:

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