Douglas Bissell Sep 25, 2016:

@Adrian, Very good! and quite clearly written. How this translates into Mozambican law I have no idea, supposing that since the question is from Mozambique is is a local question, but that is way too much to assume these days.

Adrian MM. (X) Sep 25, 2016:

Sitting, squatting & trespassing A sitting tenant and squatter may become a trespasser only if the landowners withdraw their permission for the latters to stay on the land. In the case of a squatter, the squat may be an abandoned building and the owner may be either dead or not even know that the property is being squatted.

Criminal trespass in the UK usually applies to 'travellers' moving on to, messing or smashing up land and buildings. Then the police can get involved.

Douglas Bissell Sep 25, 2016:

@Adrian, sitting tenant sounds a good term here, 'holder at sufferance' may be the core correct legal term. depending on the actual context the asker can choose

Adrian MM. (X) Sep 25, 2016:

Squatter's vs. sitting tenant's rights As intimated, Douglas, (unwashed) squatter's (adverse possessory = *no contractual*) rights need to be contrasted with and distinguished from the 'rights' of a *contractual* sitting tenant holding over at the end of a legit. tenancy.

There is a well-known, UN translator's Spanish-English glossary that shall remain nameless and also mixes up the two, namely a 'precarista' as a sitting tenant becomes a 'squatter' - even though, from my experience, angry UK landlords & landladies claim there is no difference. But the spectre of defamation may also rear its ugly head ....

Douglas Bissell Sep 25, 2016:

Are we talking about housing or other property, because if it is property, you may be talking about squatters' rights

Daniel Pimentel Sep 25, 2016:

Possuidor precário não se refere a "possuir ilegalmente", acredito que seja alguém que esteja alugando um apartamento ou casa, essa pessoa seria o possuidor precário do imóvel em questão