WATCH: DeSantis Implements TOUGH Measures To Reclaim Stolen Properties In Florida

The legislation empowers state law enforcement officials to evict squatters and imposes harsher penalties on them. This comes in response to widespread complaints from property owners across the country who claim their homes are being unlawfully occupied by strangers, leaving them with limited recourse to reclaim their properties.

Governor DeSantis, in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, stated, "What New York does, what California does, Florida will do the opposite. And so the squatter scam ends today with our legislation." He further explained the predicament faced by many property owners in the state, "We've got people that will be here for seven months of the year, and then they'll go to Michigan or New York or even Canada. You come back after the summer and someone's in your house, and then they just get to stay there for six months. Now in Florida, you call up, you fill out a form, the sheriff comes, and the sheriff kicks him out of your property."

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The Governor emphasized the importance of private property rights in maintaining a free society, stating, "If we don't have private property rights, we will not have a free society, so it is the bedrock Florida stands by, and we're proud to do it."

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Sheriff William Snyder of Martin County, Florida, believes the new law will "absolutely" help address the issue. He told Fox & Friends First, "There's a real technicality when you go out to a home and somebody proffers that they live there, then the legitimate owner has proved that it's their house. It gives us teeth to enforce the law and to return the home to the rightful owner."

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Given that many property owners in Florida live there only during the winter months, residents in Sheriff Snyder's community have been urged to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. He stated, "We'll go right out there, and it's our intention here in Martin County to get that home back into the hands of the rightful owner and get the trespasser out. And then I will provide them [the squatter] housing. They will not be unhoused. I'm putting them straight into my jail."

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Previously, landlords in Florida had voiced concerns about weak property rights as squatters invaded homes, causing damage and leaving the legitimate homeowners to bear the costs. Jacksonville property owner Patti Peeples, for instance, told Fox News' Pete Hegseth last year that squatters had caused nearly $40,000 in damages to her property. She said, "We would be in jail," when asked what would happen if she tried to evict the squatters herself. "In fact, I couldn't even turn off the electricity and the water. We are prevented from doing that. So not only did they steal a home to live in for a period of time, but they lived in relative comfort with a washer-dryer, which they stole, a fully stocked kitchen with all of the appliances and heat, air conditioning and water."

Peeples had previously urged Governor DeSantis to address the issue, describing the state's property rights as "absurd." The new law, which aims to clamp down on squatters, is set to take effect on July 1.