I posted a while ago, and this is an ongoing issue that's partly resolved. And just now I have a very specific question for landlords, lawyers, or savvy renters (but please refrain from replying if you don't understand the
italicized words after my question):
How does my landlord benefit from having his mail delivered to the house I am renting from him?
Although it is a private home, there is a
cluster mailbox that services the whole street, which has just a handful of houses. When I first moved in, he refused to furnish me with a key to the mailbox, and eventually I just went to USPS and got the lock changed myself. The landlord then tried to file an
unlawful detainer and he lost, so we get to stay. But one point he contested was the mailbox access. He claimed that he receives some mail at the dwelling which cannot be delivered to his PO Box, and insisted that he is entitled to a key. Astonishingly, the judge agreed.
Astonishing for a number of reasons.
First, the cluster box unit isn't even on his property, but across the street. He doesn't even own any other houses on the street. The mailbox isn't his personal property.
Second, it seems the judge was following the same logic that gives landlords house keys, but didn't complete the thought process: Landlords are entitled to request house key copies for, in particular, being able to access the property in case of an emergency without having to break stuff. Mailbox emergency though? I don't think so.
Third, and this is key (a pun, yes)--he doesn't live there.
In trying to figure out whether you're allowed to receive mail to an address where you do not live (or, more specifically, whether you're
entitled to receive mail at an address where you do not live, whether you're the property owner or not), I dug up
USC 39 Sec. 3003: "Mail bearing a fictitious name or address." It basically says that you can't lie about your name or address for the purpose of (among other things) committing fraud.
I'm assuming, then, that there is some sort of advantage to receiving mail (or at least appearing to receive mail) to one's
primary residence, but I don't know what that could be. Basically, I am trying to prove that he is being slippery, and then I won't have to share a mailbox with him.
Just generally, this guy is completely off his rocker, so if you suggest calmly talking to him about it, I will laugh at you. For starters, I have a restraining order against him, so we're a bit beyond pleasantries.
Incidentally, I called one of the banks who send him a lot of mail, and they confirmed that all the mail they post can be delivered to PO Boxes, so my landlord's claim is a pile of cow patties.