What occupancy verification is
Occupancy verification answers whether anyone is living there — before you notice, before you winterize, before you send a crew. Unknown is an allowed result.
Key facts
- Lifecycle stage: Operations.
- EvictIQ field operations: Georgia (metro Atlanta). We do not operate field crews in every state.
- Exact claims only: 10,000+ completed evictions; 72-hour service of tenant after filing on average (Georgia service).
- Not a law firm. Not legal advice. No date guarantees. No price list on this page.
What this service is
Bad occupancy calls create illegal lockouts and wasted writ windows. Verification is lights, mail, neighbors, and — only when access is lawful — an interior look. If you cannot tell, the report says unknown.
This is field honesty, not nationwide coverage we invent. Georgia we can discuss. Other states we route to a local inspector or process server who will actually go to the door.
When this step is needed
You need occupancy verification before you choose a notice strategy, book a setout, or issue a vacant-property order — especially when the last report is old.
You need it when a neighbor says someone new moved in. Unknown is an honest result. Guessing vacant is how lockouts happen.
How the process usually works
- Visit or review with the purpose written down.
- Photograph exterior indicators.
- Enter only with lawful access.
- Conclude occupied, vacant, or unknown in writing.
- Do not treat the report as permission to rekey.
Courts and executing offices set their own calendars. These are operational steps, not a guaranteed timeline.
What this step usually covers
- Exterior indicators and photos
- Interior only with lawful access
- Occupied / vacant / unknown in writing
- A flag if someone new appears to have moved in
These are the jobs the step exists to do. They are not a nationwide menu EvictIQ staffs in every county.
What you must verify locally
- Trespass limits on the lot
- Whether the lease allows a well-being or inspection entry
- What the servicer or owner treats as “confirmed vacant”
We do not publish a stale per-state timetable. Statutes change.
What this does not include
- Legal advice, courtroom representation, or an attorney-client relationship
- A guaranteed hearing date, writ date, or setout date — courts and executing offices set their own calendars
- Self-help lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removal of belongings outside a court-issued writ
- A published price. Scope and price are written after intake, before work starts
Georgia we can handle. Elsewhere we route.
If the property is in Georgia, EvictIQ can take this step end to end. If it isn't, we'll tell you what to look for in a local attorney or service — we do not operate field crews in every state.
Related services
All eviction services — the full catalog, grouped by category on the hub.
Property Inspection Services
Documented occupancy and condition visits — the photos an owner, lender, or court file can use.
Foreclosure Property Preservation
Care of a property in or after foreclosure once it is lawful to enter and secure — not the foreclosure case.
Related guides
Common questions
If it looks vacant, can we change the locks today?
Looks vacant is not legal possession. You still need surrender, a writ, or another lawful basis. Occupancy verification is evidence, not a lockout license.
Do you verify occupancy in every state?
No nationwide field crews. We will not invent a local inspector we do not have.
Need help with this step?
Tell us where the property is and where the case stands. Georgia we handle; elsewhere we route.
- A coordinator reviews it, usually the same business day
- You get a written scope and price before anything is filed
- Georgia hire on local-eviction.com
We'll tell you so rather than take the lead. What to look for locally: a provider who knows which office executes writs in your county, who gives you cycle-time variance rather than an average, and who refuses to guarantee a completion date.
Working a real case?
Georgia we handle end to end. Anywhere else, we'll tell you what to look for in a local provider.