In pictures: Life in a squat

The negative side of squatting – which is unlawful but not a crime - is the "insecurity" of it, says Jan.

Squatters can be evicted if the owner takes them to court, but the police can only eject them if there is a sign of forced entry. In Jan's first year of squatting in the UK he moved five times.

They have rights as long as the house is occupied and secured, he explains: "You can’t leave the house alone, you have to defend it."