Joe Rogan praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' efforts to bolster property rights in the Sunshine State after several stories of homeowners struggling with squatters recently garnered national attention.
On Thursday, DeSantis signed HB 621 into law granting Florida law enforcement the ability to immediately evict squatters from residences.
Rogan discussed homeowners plagued by squatters and DeSantis' response during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with fellow comedian Joey Diaz.
"DeSantis just came out 'cause all these houses ... people are squatting, taking over people's houses," Rogan said, referencing a New York homeowner who was arrested by authorities for changing the locks on her home in an effort to kick out squatters. "Took her away in handcuffs 'cause squatters were in her own house."
Rogan also referenced a viral TikTok video shared by an illegal immigrant offering tips on squatting in unoccupied homes.
"It's a genuine problem because in Georgia you have 1,000 houses right now that people are squatting in," he continued. "That's a giant number of houses that squatters have just taken over these people's houses."
Diaz asked if squatters were targeting homeowners who were out of town, to which Rogan noted squatters were in fact targeting out-of-town homeowners, along with other unoccupied houses on the real estate market.
"It's a lot of states, but it's not Florida," Rogan added. "Florida, they're like, F--- you."
Rogan referenced DeSantis' remarks while signing the bill last Thursday, adding the Florida governor's remarks were "what people want to hear."
"Look, if you work really hard, you get a house, you have a second house you can use it as a rental property or whatever, you're trying to make some money, and then someone takes over that and the system works for them and not for you?" Rogan continued. "There's a big difference between tenants and squatters, and if you can't make that differentiation, we got a real problem.
Diaz warned someone would end up "shot" if the problem persisted.
"That's how this changes, some guy comes home, 'What the f--- are you people doing here? You're not supposed to be here,'" Diaz said. "He don't know nothing, he's from Russia. He don't know nothing, he's an old f---ing guy from Iran or something."
"And they'll put him in jail," Rogan added.
"But he'll shoot those eight motherf---ers," Diaz quipped. "Something bad will happen, and that's how it changes."
Rogan said homeowners being arrested for defending their property was a "mess," adding squatters were "two steps ahead" and knew "what the rules are" regarding squatters' rights.
“Today in the state of Florida, we say very simply what passes muster in New York and California is not passing muster here," DeSantis said during the bill's signing. "You are not going to be able to commandeer somebody’s private property and expect to get away with it. We are, in the state of Florida, ending the squatter scam once and for all."
DeSantis noted that although squatters may be aware they are "in the wrong," the legal process for evicting squatters can be arduous.
“A lot of times, the process is very expensive,” DeSantis continued. “We don’t want the law to have the thumb on the scale in favor of people that are violating the law. We want the law to have the thumb on the scale in favor of law-abiding property owners. And that’s what you’re going to see here with this piece of legislation."
