1. How it usually happens
Unauthorised occupation of private spaces doesn't just concern whole flats. Very often it concerns smaller, but highly annoying areas: parking spaces, garages, cellars, attics, courtyards, gardens, landings, terraces, technical rooms, accesses, strips of land, common rooms used as personal, building storage rooms colonised by others' objects.
Sometimes it begins with tolerance. A neighbour asks to leave two boxes in the cellar "for a few days". A relative uses a garage while looking for a solution. A tradesman deposits materials "until works end". Someone parks in your space because "it was empty anyway". The problem is that temporary, when convenient, has impressive survival skills. After three months, the two boxes become a wardrobe, a bike, four chairs, a Christmas tree, and a mysterious object covered by a tarp.
Other times occupation is sharper: changed lock, blocked gate, permanently left vehicle, fenced land, furniture deposited without consent, prevented access, exclusive use of a space that should be yours or available to others too. In these cases, it's important acting calmly, because the temptation to move everything "with energy" can create new problems.
There is also an unusual perspective: the occupier might claim having received permission, having always done so, misunderstanding boundaries, inheriting a habit from previous owners or tenants. In apartment buildings, legends about spaces are highly potent: "That cellar was always ours", "the spot was free since the nineties", "the old owner told me". Phrases sounding solemn, but without documents remaining building folklore.
Documenting well serves to reconstruct situation: which space is yours, how it's occupied, since when, by whom, with what objects or vehicles, with what consequences, and what requests you already made.
2. What you need to prove
The point to prove is that a private space, or anyway a space you have right to use, was occupied by others without clear agreement or beyond agreed limits. You must show state of places, presence of objects, vehicles, or people, impossibility to use space, and evolution over time.
A single photo can show something was there at a certain moment. An orderly sequence can show occupation lasted, repeated, or worsened.
It can be useful to prove:
- existence of space and its identification;
- link between that space and your contract, ownership, lease, or right of use;
- presence of objects, vehicles, materials, fences, locks, or obstacles;
- date and time occupation was observed;
- duration or repetition of occupation;
- impossibility or difficulty using space;
- any visible damage to doors, locks, floors, walls, gates, or present goods;
- any risks, like blocked accesses, passageways, or unreachable systems;
- content of communications with involved person, landlord, administration, or manager;
- any requests for removal or space return;
- any answers, admissions, promises, or refusals;
- version of a chronological summary prepared by you.
The concrete question is: "If someone says that space was free, shared, granted, or occupied only briefly, which files show what was really happening?" Here precision beats anger ten to zero.
3. What to collect
Gather evidence showing both space and occupation. Take wide photos for context and close-ups for details. If it's a parking spot, show number, signage, access, and vehicle. If it's cellar or garage, show door, inside, objects, lock, and identifying reference. If it's land or garden, show boundaries, fences, materials, and access points.
You can collect:
- panoramic photos of occupied space;
- close-up photos of objects, vehicles, materials, chains, padlocks, locks, or fences;
- short video showing access, position, and use impediment;
- repeated photos on different days to show duration or repetition;
- documents identifying space, like contract, floor plan, assignment, regulation, inventory, or written agreement;
- photos of parking numbers, plaques, doors, boundaries, or visible references;
- chat screenshots with person occupying space;
- emails or communications with administration, landlord, manager, or neighbours;
- any notices sent or received;
- receipts of expenses caused by occupation, like alternative parking, repairs, or lock replacement;
- quotes or invoices for damage;
- photos of any pre-existing or subsequent damage;
- summary PDF with timeline, dates, photos, and communications;
- original files of photos, video, documents, and screenshots.
If there are vehicles, avoid publishing or spreading number plates and personal details. Keep them only if relevant and share with competent subjects when needed. Documentation must serve to solve problem, not create the "hunt the phantom parker" WhatsApp group.
4. How to proceed
First of all, identify space with certainty. Retrieve contract, floor plan, deed, regulation, assignment, previous communications, or any document indicating that space is yours, for your use, or anyway unavailable to occupier. This part is fundamental: documenting occupation is more useful if you can link it to a title or agreement.
Then photograph situation without altering it. Take a wide photo of area and a series of details. If space is blocked, show impediment: car in front of garage, chain on gate, objects inside cellar, materials on passage. If occupation repeats, document on multiple dates. An isolated photo might seem an episode; ten photos in three weeks tell an abusive routine with permanent furnishing ambitions.
After first collection, send a written, calm communication. Indicate space, describe occupation, ask for removal within reasonable time, and keep sending proof. If you don't know who is responsible, contact landlord, administration, property manager, or building rep. Avoid threats, aggressive phrases, or improvised actions.
If situation involves risk, blocked access to systems, damage, break-in, threat, or presence of unauthorised people, do not face it alone. Immediately contact those who can intervene appropriately: emergency services, competent authorities, administration, landlord, building security, or qualified professionals.
Practical procedure:
- verify documents and space references;
- photograph space from afar and close up;
- record short video showing access and impediment;
- repeat documentation on different days;
- keep messages, emails, and answers;
- prepare chronological summary with dates and description;
- send written request for removal or clarification;
- document any damages or costs suffered;
- timestamp photos, video, summary, and main documents;
- keep originals in dedicated folder.
A useful message example: "Since May 10, parking spot no. 14, assigned to my flat, is occupied by vehicle shown in attached photos. I request removal and confirmation space returns available by day X." It is a dry phrase. Doesn't shake walls, but works better than a furious block-cap note on windscreen.
5. Mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is reacting by moving objects, opening padlocks, removing vehicles, or entering occupied spaces without knowing well what consequences it might have. Even when you are right, an impulsive move can complicate situation. Document first, communicate next, involve competent subjects when needed.
Another frequent error is not distinguishing between private space, common space, exclusive use, temporary tolerance, and verbal agreement. Before accusing someone, verify documents, floor plans, and regulations. In condominiums and shared properties, practical boundaries can be less obvious than they seem, especially when old owner "always did so", a phrase ruining more cellars than many leaks.
Also beware of photos without date or context. A bike in a hallway can say little. Same bike photographed in front of your cellar, on five different dates, with removal request messages, tells a clearer story.
Avoid publishing photos on social media or in building chats with accusatory tones. Might seem liberating for ten minutes and become a boomerang for weeks. Keep evidence in private folder and share only with those who must handle the matter.
Besides cryptographic attestation, consider written communications, document verification, administration or landlord intervention, inspection by technician or rep, legal consulting if occupation continues, and reporting to competent authorities when there is break-in, threats, risk, or concrete impossibility to use asset.
Free timestamping helps you secure photos, video, timeline, and occupation documents in time, without adding costs to an already irritating situation.
6. After documenting
After gathering materials, send an orderly request to involved person, if known, or to competent referent: landlord, administration, building manager, caretaker, agency, parking manager, or other subject linked to space. Attaching a few significant photos and clear summary is often more effective than sending fifty images in random order.
If occupation ceases, document final state of space. Photograph it was freed, verify any damage, and keep any written confirmations. If there are costs or repairs, collect quotes, invoices, and communications.
If occupation continues, update timeline. Indicate new dates, new photos, new requests, and missing answers. At that point you can turn to a legal consultant, mediation service, tenant or landlord protection association, real estate professional, or competent body in your country. If situation concerns blocked accesses, safety, threats, intrusions, or ongoing damage, rapidly contact authorities or competent local services.
If renting, inform landlord or property manager and ask them to intervene to guarantee use of foreseen space. If in condominium, ask administration or building rep for formal intervention. If it's land, boundaries, or fences, it can be useful involving a qualified technician to clarify material situation.
The important thing is avoiding trench warfare on the landing. With orderly photos, dates, documents, and communications, you move from "someone took my space" to a much more concrete request: which space, since when, with what, with what consequences, and what must be done to free it.