When Kelly Ripa says a television project left her shaking with rage, you pay attention. The Emmy-winning host and her husband Mark Consuelos executive produced a new Hulu docuseries that premiered June 4, 2026, and the reaction has been exactly what you'd expect when mainstream America finally gets a front-row seat to something property owners have been living quietly for years.

The show is called Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House. It is six episodes. It is real. And if you own rental property anywhere in New York, New Jersey, or Long Island, at least three of those episodes should feel uncomfortably close to home.

Six Episodes. Six Families. Six Reasons to Pay Attention.

The show doesn't dramatize. It doesn't need to. Each episode is drawn from real cases that unfolded exactly as documented, in courtrooms and living rooms and on front porches where homeowners stood outside their own properties, unable to enter, while someone else lived inside.

The Detail That Should Alarm Every New York Property Owner

The Queens episode deserves particular attention from anyone who owns property in New York. A homeowner, in Queens, was arrested for attempting to enter a property she owns. Not for breaking in. Not for damaging anything. For trying to go home.

This is not a glitch in the system. It is the system working exactly as it was designed in New York. Once someone has occupied a property for 30 days or more, they acquire legal occupant status under New York law. Removing them without a court order, even if they are trespassers with no lease and no right to be there, can expose the property owner to civil liability and in some cases criminal charges.

The family sued for $400,000 adds another dimension. The squatter filing that lawsuit was serving a prison sentence at the time. They had no right to the property. They were incarcerated. And they filed a $400,000 lawsuit. In New York, that is legally possible. New York's tenant and occupant protection framework does not require a clean record, a lease, or even physical presence to initiate legal action against a property owner.

This Isn't New, It's Just Finally on Television

Property owners across New York have been navigating versions of these situations for years. What the Hulu docuseries has done, and why it matters for the broader conversation, is bring these cases out of housing court records and into living rooms.

The New Jersey SWAT episode resonates particularly for landlords in the tri-state area. New Jersey's tenant protection laws have followed New York's trajectory closely, and what unfolds in Newark or Jersey City today often predicts what unfolds in Nassau County tomorrow.

We wrote recently about a Brooklyn landlord who has spent nearly a decade in housing court over a single tenancy dispute, with unpaid rent now estimated between $275,000 and $325,000. That case, reported by Fox News, drew massive attention. The Hulu series puts six more faces on the same underlying problem.

What Landlords Can Learn From Each Episode

The Bigger Picture for Long Island Landlords

The Hulu docuseries covers cases in Queens, New Jersey, California, and across the country. But the legal dynamics it illustrates are not unique to those locations. Long Island's regulatory environment is moving steadily in the same direction.

Good Cause Eviction protections have expanded across Nassau County municipalities. Tenant advocacy resources that were once concentrated in New York City are increasingly accessible on Long Island. Housing court timelines, even in less backlogged Long Island courts, can still consume months or years when disputes are contested.

At the same time, Long Island home values have risen more than 50% since 2020. Many landlords who purchased rental properties five, ten, or fifteen years ago are sitting on equity positions that would have seemed impossible at the time of purchase. The financial case for continuing to hold a rental property in this legal environment, particularly one with any tenant complications, deserves serious evaluation.

The families in the Hulu docuseries did not plan to spend years in court. They did not plan to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and lost rent. And most of them did not have a clear picture of their options until they were already deep inside a situation they couldn't easily exit.

That's the real lesson of the show. Not that squatters are everywhere, but that the legal framework that allows these situations to persist is real, it is expanding, and it rewards property owners who understand their options and make decisions proactively rather than reactively.

Frequently Asked Questions

What rights do squatters have in New York?

New York has some of the strongest occupant protections in the country. Once someone has occupied a property for 30 days or more, they may be considered a legal occupant and cannot be removed without formal court eviction proceedings, even if they have no lease and are not paying rent. Removing someone without a court order can expose the property owner to civil liability and potentially criminal charges.

Can a squatter sue a homeowner in New York?

Yes. If a property owner attempts to remove an occupant without following proper legal procedures, that occupant can sue for illegal eviction or harassment. As shown in the Hulu docuseries, one family was sued for $400,000 by a squatter who was simultaneously serving a prison sentence. New York's protections mean even unauthorized occupants retain certain legal rights that must be respected throughout the removal process.

How do you legally remove a squatter in New York?

The only legal path in New York is through the court system. You must file a petition in housing court, serve proper legal notice, attend hearings, and obtain a judgment for possession before a marshal or sheriff can execute a lawful removal. Self-help tactics including changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities are illegal under New York law regardless of whether the occupant has any legitimate claim.

What is the difference between a squatter and a tenant in New York?

The distinction can become surprisingly blurry. A squatter occupies a property without permission and without a lease. However, once in continuous occupancy for a period of time, New York courts may treat them similarly to a holdover tenant, requiring full eviction proceedings. In some cases, long-term occupants can even make adverse possession claims that could theoretically give them legal ownership rights after many years.

Should a Long Island landlord consider selling if worried about squatter or tenant situations?

For many Long Island landlords, the increasing complexity of tenant and occupant protection laws, combined with record home value appreciation over the past five years, has made this question worth asking seriously. A consultation with an experienced landlord exit specialist can help evaluate whether the current legal environment makes selling the right strategic decision given your specific equity position and property situation.

Disclaimer: This article references the Hulu docuseries "Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House" (2026), executive produced by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, produced by Milojo and ABC News Studios. Episode descriptions are based on publicly available press materials and do not reproduce proprietary content from the series. This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. New York and New Jersey squatter, tenant, and occupant protection laws vary by municipality and change frequently. Always consult a licensed attorney before taking any action regarding a property occupancy dispute. Integrity Core Realty is a licensed real estate brokerage, not a law firm.