Leonel Moreno, a Venezuelan migrant with a significant online presence on TikTok, has been sharing advice with his followers on how to occupy vacant homes and assert squatter’s rights in the United States. Moreno, who resides in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, stated in a recent video that under U.S. law, uninhabited houses can be claimed. He was likely referring to adverse possession laws, also known as squatter’s rights, which under certain conditions, grant unlawful occupants rights over the property they inhabit without the owner’s consent.
The video, which has garnered over 3.9 million views, includes Moreno’s claim that he has friends from Africa who have already claimed about seven homes. Moreno, who lives with his partner and their infant daughter, argues that occupying vacant homes is the only way for migrants to avoid homelessness and not become a public burden.
Moreno’s advice has sparked outrage among many TikTok users, as squatting has become a significant issue in recent years across the U.S., particularly in cities led by Democratic officials such as New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Critics have called for Moreno to be charged with a crime, with some even tagging the FBI in their comments, urging the federal agency to investigate the Venezuelan national.
Squatter’s laws exist in all 50 states, providing a wide range of protections for trespassers who establish legal occupancy of a home, making it challenging for property owners to evict them. In New York City, for example, individuals who manage to stay on a property for just 30 days can assert squatter’s rights.
Moreno, who has previously boasted about earning money by begging on the streets while also receiving government assistance, made headlines last month when he encouraged his followers to support 15-year-old Jesus Alejandro Rivas-Figueroa. Rivas-Figueroa, also a Venezuelan national, was charged as an adult with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a tourist in Times Square and firing at police officers.