Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a new law that eliminates squatters’ rights in the Sunshine State and increases penalties for those who violate the law.

“You are not going to be able to commandeer somebody’s private property and expect to get away with it. We are in the state of Florida ending the squatter scam once and for all,” DeSantis said from Orlando on Wednesday during a press conference on the signing.

The law takes effect July 1. At the signing, the governor said he believes Florida is the first state to tackle the issue head-on as states around the country continue to allow people who don’t own property to ‘inhabit’ it and force the property owner into a lengthy civil process to have them evicted.

Earlier this month, lawmakers in the state voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill before sending it to DeSantis’ office. The new law states that squatters who illegally move into a property will face criminal charges. Additionally, property owners will be able to file an affidavit providing proof of legal ownership of their property.

Before the bill’s passage, squatters in Florida, as well as in states from coast to coast, were considered tenants and required legal property owners to launch lengthy court battles to legally remove inhabitants from a home.

“This is an important bill if you see the stories that happen,” Republican state Sen. Keith Perry, who sponsored the bill, said as it made its way through the legislature, per local reports. “It is egregious what people are getting away with under legislation.”

Under the new law, property owners can now call on the sheriff’s office to immediately remove squatters from their homes if the suspects are unable to produce documents authorizing their residency by the property owner.

The law “will give the homeowner the ability to quickly and legally remove a squatter from a property and which will increase criminal penalties for squatting. Now, we have not had the same type of issues here, as you’ve seen in California or New York. Nevertheless, our laws were really geared towards this not necessarily being a fad,” DeSantis said while standing in front of a podium with a sign reading, “Ending the Squatters Scam.”