Beware The Phrogger

About a month ago, I adopted a new evening routine. Every evening, I return home to my condo where I live alone, and I crack the door open carefully without opening it all the way or entering my own home. Then I poke my head in, and yell:

“Phroggeeeeerr!!!! Phrogger, if you are in here, I’m home now! Time to hide! Don’t look for me and I won’t look for you!!!!!”

Ignorance is truly bliss, my friends.

So, what’s the deal with this weirdest game of hide and seek ever? 'Phrogging,' (pronounced like 'frogging' but there are no Kermits here) is the creepiest means of “couch surfing” ever. A Phrogger is a person who, rather than “hop” from couch to couch, will secretly take up residence in an otherwise occupied space unbeknownst to the homeowner in the attic, basement, or crawlspace.

Let’s let that sink in for a minute: a person... living in your attic... Without you knowing. The call actually is coming from inside the house!

Phrogging is basically the creepy cousin of squatters, and believe it or not, it's not actually new. There have been cases of phrogging dating back to 1941! And while the phrase has existed since at least 2014, the last year has brought this term and this concept to the forefront thanks to an increase of Phrogging incidents, usually in multifamily buildings. So prevalent has this issue become, that there have been several movies and even a Hulu true crime docuseries made about it. There was even a segment about it on last month’s Building Doctor Show. Most homeowners only realize they have a phrogger after noticing items missing in the home or hearing odd noises (some victims of phroggers have even initially believed their homes to be haunted).

Some of you may be learning of this concept for the first time and thinking “there’s no way that could happen to me," and perhaps you’re right. But you might also be asking “how do I make sure this never happens to me?!”

A great many of these cases are happening in multifamily settings – largely due to ease of access to “shared” areas, like crawlspaces and attics that span entire buildings. There are a couple of things anyone can do to help decrease the odds of an unwanted attic dweller or a creepy crawlspace occupant, like keeping a mindful eye on utility bills to note unusual increases in usage, and installing doorbell cameras (and, of course, making sure to lock your doors and windows!) But for those situations unique to multifamily buildings, we can consult our friendly neighborhood Building Doctor for some tips and tricks.

1. Schedule an attic inspection. We can check for a host of things up there, primarily: good ventilation, roof leaks, and making sure the ductwork is properly hooked up, since it can fall down over time. As an added measure, we'll be on the lookout for phroggers. We have been in attics that had evidence of someone sleeping there.
2. If your building is supposed to have attic firewalls that separate each attic space, but don’t, make a plan to get them installed for fire safety (and to keep phroggers from jumping into your unit).
3. Look into lockable attic hatches to prevent unauthorized access.
4. Basic home alarm systems have motion sensors and cameras these days, so consider installing them.
5. Make sure you have proper insurance in place for theft and take necessary steps to secure important items.