Aussie couple accused of squatting in elderly woman’s cozy $2M suburban home

A multimillion-dollar home in the leafy western suburbs of Perth has become big news after its owners claimed the young family living there were actually squatters.

The one-storey brick cottage on Keightley Rd, Shenton Park has been renovated since its most recent occupiers moved in.

But the family of its elderly owner says schoolteacher Jeremy Hubbard and musician Rachel Savage have been living in the $2 million property rent free and without any agreement.

“At no time has she authorised anybody to live in this property, period,” the owner’s nephew Greg Preston told 7News.

“No rent’s being paid, they’re not authorised, she’s never met them. There’s no lease.”

Local weekly newspaper The Post broke the story in its August 9 edition, revealing the couple and their baby was allegedly living there without the knowledge of owner Marliyn Watson.

The paper reported a woman told its reporter “we are renting” during a brief exchange at the house in November.

According to social media posts that now appear deleted, Mr. Hubbard was employed as the head of Year 9 at The King’s College in Wellard last year.

The school has been contacted for comment.

His wife described herself on a website as a pop singer/songwriter who has performed in Nashville and Los Angeles.

It is believed they are no longer living in the 107-year-old home, after removalists reportedly were seen there on Saturday following media coverage of the situation.

Ms. Watson, now 81, moved out of the home due to hail damage in 2010, with Google street view images showing the property’s front garden fell into a state of disrepair over the years.

Between March 2022 and March 2024, a new white picket fence appears to have been installed along with plants and fresh licks of paint on the veranda posts.

Neighbor Mitchell McArthur told 7News he had assumed those living in the property were its owners.

“I park on this street all the time and we’ve never really seen much activity at the house in terms of visitors or lights on,” he said.

Mr. Preston claimed to have found a letter sent to Ms. Watson at her Mandurah home, which was allegedly written by Ms Savage in 2022.

“I would like to buy your house in Shenton Park,” it read, The Post reported.

“I think it would be a beautiful home and I would be honored to acquire it and care for it.”

Mr. Preston claimed that “instead of buying the house they just thought they’d move into the house without any rent, or any purchase agreement.”

Neighbours told The Post that the vacant property had previously attracted undesirables and there had been some “scary situations.”

They said Mr. Hubbard and Ms. Savage “have been peaceful neighbours since they occupied the property.”

“The property has been cared for and the garden looked after.”

Movers were seen removing furniture from the property over the weekend, before cleaners arrived.

An older man seen at the property declined to answer questions when approached by 7News.

The story has attracted widespread interest in Perth and sparked debate about the issue of vacant homes during the nation’s housing crisis.

“Not saying they’re in the right, but the house would have been vacant for 15 years if they didn’t move in. At least a family is getting a home,” one person wrote on The Post’s Facebook page.

“Good on the squatters for filling (and looking after!) an empty house in this housing crisis,” another commenter said.

Others said it was the owner’s right to leave a home vacant.

Under West Australian law a person can claim legal ownership of land if they have occupied it for at least 12 years.