What Can I Do with Abandoned Goods at My Rental?

What Can I Do with Abandoned Goods at My Rental?

Do you have an ex-tenant who has left abandoned goods at your rental? Today we discuss what landlords can do regarding the disposal of abandoned goods within or outside their property.

Dealing with Abandoned Goods at Your Rental

When a tenant moves out, they are required to take all of their property with them. Sometimes a tenant may accidently leave something behind, while another may deliberately leave unwanted goods. As a landlord, you’re then left with the job of disposing of the property or organising its return to the owners. Before you start though, you must be aware of the rules you need to follow to protect both yourself and your ex-tenant.

Often there is a short turn over period between tenants, where the landlord must ensure the property is clean and tidy before the new tenancy can begin. Being left with abandoned property can put a screw in the works, with the landlord needing to sort it before the new tenant arrives.

The issue is, the only property a landlord can dispose of immediately is food or perishable items. For other items, the landlord can give the tenant notice to come and collect their goods by a certain date. If the tenant fails to do this, or the landlord cannot contact the tenant, then they have two choices:

• Contact the Tenancy Tribunal to get a written order about whether the property should be sold, thrown away or returned to the tenant/stored for the tenant.
• Make a decision whether to sell, store or throw away the left behind property. Firstly, they will need to work out how much the goods are worth. If the cost to store, sell or transport the goods would be greater than their value, the landlord can throw them away immediately. If the cost is lower than the goods’ value, the landlord must first store them for 35 days before they sell or dispose of them. After 35 days, the landlord can sell the abandoned property and claim back the cost of storage and transport from that money. The money can also be used to pay any other debt the tenant owes the landlord, but this must be put through in a claim to the Tenancy Tribunal first.

You can find out more details about how landlords can deal with property left behind by their tenants on the Tenancy Service’s website. One of the best ways to ensure that this doesn’t happen again to you is to engage the services of an experienced property management team. At Hollie Joss Property Management, we work hard to protect our client’s investment properties and welcome the opportunity to take care of yours too. Get in touch with our team today and let us help make life as a landlord simple again.