Named after the game of leapfrogging, “phrogging” is the act of secretly living in someone else’s home without their knowledge or permission. The phrogger hops from property to property with one goal in mind: to live a rent-free lifestyle, regardless of who’s on the lease.
Don’t think that your renters are in cahoots with phroggers; your tenants won’t know who’s living in the walls any more than you do.
Though this may all sound like the plot of a thriller (Parasite arguably did it best), phrogging is all too real. Just ask Paul Mohlman, a man who discovered half-dressed intruders cooking illegal substances in his crawl space back in 2019. In 2021, a 20-year-old Cedar City resident pled guilty to burglary, criminal mischief, and trespassing charges after breaking into multiple residences and watching pornography while the residents slept nearby.
So, what’s a landlord to do? It’s time to arm yourself with knowledge and an action plan to catch phroggers mid-croak.
Many phroggers either suffer from mental health problems, have a specific target in mind (e.g., someone they don’t like), or are the property owner’s fans, Lifehacker points out. Mental health struggles shouldn’t be taken lightly and deserve empathy. At the same time, you have the right to know who’s living in your property and the duty to protect your tenants from this type of criminal activity.
People living in property that isn’t theirs may remind you of another common fear among landlords: squatting. But squatting and phrogging are distinctly different in three ways:
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How to Protect Your Rentals From Phrogging
You’re not as likely to discover a phrogger as your tenant, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to protect your property. If you have reason to believe that someone is secretly living in the unit, you should:
But let’s say that all of this information makes you want to take precautions before anyone can leapfrog into your rental. Here’s what you need to do:
By following these steps, you’ll set yourself up to catch phroggers if any of them should make their way to your (lily)pad. Another great way to protect your rentals is to screen tenants thoroughly, maintain good documentation, and communicate with your renters.
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