European property law
Squatters' rights in Norway: can a squatter ever win hevd?
Twenty years of possession as owner under section 2 of the Prescription Act (hevdslova), and section 4 excludes anyone who knew, or through carelessness did not know, that the property was not theirs. A squatter fails that test.
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- Statutory period
- 20 years
- What's different here
- bad faith rules it out, and using land against the owner is an offence
- Statute
- Hevdslova §§ 2 and 4
Norway's Prescription Act of 1966 says, in section 2, that a person who has held a thing as their own for twenty continuous years gains ownership by hevd. Section 4 then closes the door that matters most here: someone who knows they do not own the thing does not gain hevd, and neither does someone who does not know only because they were less careful than the circumstances required.
Section 5 adds that a person holding the property as a tenant, borrower, custodian or pledgee cannot gain ownership by hevd either, so a tenant who overstays is not a hevd claimant. Section 6 stops the clock when the owner sues and wins, or recovers the property.
Using or taking control of real property in breach of the owner's rights, so that the owner suffers loss or inconvenience or against their express prohibition, is an offence under section 346 of the Penal Code. Removing occupants goes through the enforcement officer (namsmannen) by forced eviction; guidance on Norwegian eviction states plainly that taking the law into your own hands (selvtekt) is not permitted.
Where Norway sits against the rest of Europe, in years
Of 31 places in Europe on these pages, 23 have a shorter clock and 4 a longer one or none at all.
How it unfolds
From the day someone moves in to the day a claim is possible
The same three stages in most places. The exact rule, and whether the last stage exists at all, is on each place's own page.
- Day oneMoving inCaught in the act, it is usually a matter for the police: a trespass, not a tenancy.
- Weeks to yearsSettled inOnce someone lives there, removing them usually takes a court order, the same route as for a tenant.
- After 20 yearsA claim becomes possibleOnly if every test held, without a break, for the whole period. Where the law allows no such claim, this stage never comes.
Not yours to do, once they have moved inChanging the locks, cutting the water or power, or removing belongings yourself. It is illegal in every US state and most places on these pages forbid it too. Each page says how removal works there.
Before it is ever a court case
The record a court asks for, kept as you go
Wherever your property stands, removing an occupant usually comes down to showing who had the right to be there, and since when. Dardaris files every lease, message and document for a building by date, so that record already exists on the day you need it.
- Every lease, with who signed it and when
- Every message with a tenant, on the thread it was sent in
- Every document, filed against the building it concerns
Frequently asked questions
How long does adverse possession take in Norway?
Twenty years of continuous possession as owner for real property, under hevdslova § 2. Movable property and securities take ten years.
Can a squatter gain ownership in Norway?
In practice, no. Section 4 of the Prescription Act excludes anyone who knew, or ought to have known, that the property was not theirs, and a person who moves into someone else's building knows exactly that.
Is squatting in Norway a crime?
Using or controlling real property in breach of the owner's rights, causing them loss or inconvenience or against their express prohibition, is punishable by a fine under section 346 of the Penal Code.
Can I throw squatters out myself in Norway?
Self-help (selvtekt) is not the lawful route. Removal goes through the enforcement officer (namsmannen) by forced eviction, which requires a legal basis for enforcement.
Elsewhere in Europe
The same question, on a different clock. Every place sets its own period and its own shortcuts.
This is general information, not legal advice.Laws change, and a county or a city can add its own wrinkle on top of the state rule, the way New York City does. Confirm the current rule for your address before acting on it, and talk to a local attorney before relying on any of it in a real dispute.
Know who is actually in your property, before it becomes a court case.
Hand over one building and see every lease checked against what is actually happening on the ground.
14 days before the first charge · Nothing is switched on until you say so