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What do you when a former tenant, who leaves behind their stuff, vacates one of your apartments or rental houses?
We've had such situations previously, but none was as bad as when a man and his wife moved out of their house - owned by our business - in search of cheaper rent at my grandmother's old house (which has always been a rental home - my dad was born in an apartment there and moved downstairs once his grandparents died). They took only what they wanted, leaving everything behind. My aunt, who moved out of the house, was not on good terms with my mom, so she didn't write her a check for the dump. Consequently, we loaded up their junk (not all of it - it wouldn't fit) into a junky old van, drove to their new address, and unloaded it there. Here's a picture:
If you are going to dispose of a renter's "residue" in such a manner, I suggest bringing along several people, in order to reduce the chances of a violent conflict.
Have you done this before? Or is your approach just to bring it to the dump and eat the loss? Any other ways of getting rid of a tenant's junk?
Had a long term tenant become ill... her family started moving in to take care of her... she passed and the situation got bad... the utilities were turned off, etc.
They took my offer to pay for a rental truck and refund the deposit if they moved by the weekend... rent was paid through the weekend.
A lot of stuff was left behind... mostly junk... some I was not so sure about.
I had to move it to get the place ready... I had an empty cargo trailer and decided to use the trailer to haul the stuff away. I got busy so the stuff stayed in the trailer for several months.
I then get a letter from an legal aid lawyer saying a had illegally disposed of over $5000 worth of the families belongings contrary to State Law... didn't hold a public sale, etc.
I quickly responded and said I had not disposed of anything and had in fact been storing the items with no way to contact the family. The lawyer was really surprised when I offered wave storage fees if I was given a delivery address in town that I could deliver to the next day.
I delivered the items and right away the family started to cherry pick...saying they didn't want most of the items... I said that was not the agreement with their lawyer and unloaded everything in their front yard...
I delivered the items and right away the family started to cherry pick...saying they didn't want most of the items... I said that was not the agreement with their lawyer and unloaded everything in their front yard...
lol...they were acting like you are their servant. now take away the rest of the items and make me a sandwich while you are at it!
What do you when a former tenant, who leaves behind their stuff, vacates one of your apartments or rental houses?
We've had such situations previously, but none was as bad as when a man and his wife moved out of their house - owned by our business - in search of cheaper rent at my grandmother's old house (which has always been a rental home - my dad was born in an apartment there and moved downstairs once his grandparents died). They took only what they wanted, leaving everything behind. My aunt, who moved out of the house, was not on good terms with my mom, so she didn't write her a check for the dump. Consequently, we loaded up their junk (not all of it - it wouldn't fit) into a junky old van, drove to their new address, and unloaded it there. Here's a picture:
If you are going to dispose of a renter's "residue" in such a manner, I suggest bringing along several people, in order to reduce the chances of a violent conflict.
Have you done this before? Or is your approach just to bring it to the dump and eat the loss? Any other ways of getting rid of a tenant's junk?
that was nice of you. you saved them $$$ with free moving services.
We own a rental house in Northern Minnesota. We are very very picky about who we rent to and have let the house sit empty for a while because we did not like the 'class' of people who were applying to rent it. They just gave us a bad feeling. So far we have had no problem and have always hand picked great tenants. That may be a idea you other landlords may need to start doing. Just do it legally.
that was nice of you. you saved them $$$ with free moving services.
Not according to them. The day after, my mother received a very angry call from the former tenant, threatening her with a trespass order and telling her not to let her "drug-addicted sons" near their property. Then she called my grandmother and told her that we dumped carpet and she (my grandmother) had to pay for its removal. Of course, she did not buy this.
I went to dump some more stuff off at their house, and I noticed the remaining things are on a trailer.
Not according to them. The day after, my mother received a very angry call from the former tenant, threatening her with a trespass order and telling her not to let her "drug-addicted sons" near their property. Then she called my grandmother and told her that we dumped carpet and she (my grandmother) had to pay for its removal. Of course, she did not buy this.
I went to dump some more stuff off at their house, and I noticed the remaining things are on a trailer.
i noticed it is fairly common for a tenant to leave a lot of items behind after they move out without keeping the ll updated about their plans, as if they are supposed to get free storage. the last time i moved it took 2 extra days but i kept the ll updated and 95% of my things were already moved.
the only time i was a ll, i was to move into the inlaw apartment while the guys in the main house were going to say for a few more months. i came by a week after the inlaw was to be vacated and it was still full of stuff, like the guy didn't move anything. when I asked for them to move it because they were no longer renting, they had an attitude like i was bothering them. uh...i don't rent out places for free.
My last tenant left a lot of stuff but not as much as in the picture...they put alot in the trashcan and even more next to it, and a refrigerator...
Later in a letter he claimed that the trash pick up took it because they have to take it as long as aperson has a trashcan...and I charged him without reasoning even that he hadn't paid for the trash pick up wasn't a reason that they hadn't taking it...wow what a way of describing it in an email.
I called the trash pick up comp. and they told me the tenants hadn't paid since Aug. and moved out at the end of Jan. so they never took any trash. They even offered to send me the billing history when i explained I was going to court...easy proof, on top of the dated pictures we took.
In some states, if belongings are left behind, it has to be treated as an eviction. You have to serve notice, go to court, and then have the sheriff remove the belongings and store them for up to 3 years. If the tenant wants them, they have to pay anything due, including storage fees. If the tenant never picks the stuff up, after 3 years, it goes to public sale for the sheriff to recoup storage costs. Anything extra (I think) goes to the LL to go toward legal costs.
We have our tenants sign, as part of the lease, that if they leave belongings behind at move out, and do not come pick them up after notice from us, that they are authorizing us to dispose of the belongings as we see fit. If they leave a lot behind, there may be costs incurred in the disposal.
I know someone in California who was sued by an ex-tenant who said that among the stuff left in the house was some expensive jewelry or something, and that the LL, when cleaning out the house, stole it. The LL had even brought a neighbor in for a witness when entering the house, and took photos of everything he removed. Even so, the LL spent so much $$ in court defending themselves, that they ended up deeding the house to the attorney to pay the legal costs. I believe he lost the case, because he didn't go through the right procedure to get rid of the remaining stuff.
I don't even have to give them a notice after they abandoned belongings after move out, that is all taken care off in my lease contract. I make sure I have pictures of the inside and if there is no bed to be found and hardly any furniture then trash, it shows the home is abandoned and free for me to get rid of their stuff...the first time it happened the tenants moved out on New Years Eve....I called the cops the next day what i should do with what they left and since the were so nice to at least leave all the keys on the breakfast bar, the cop told me to just get rid of it, since that was enough proof the abandoned the property.
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We are very very picky about who we rent to and have let the house sit empty for a while because we did not like the 'class' of people who were applying to rent it. They just gave us a bad feeling. So far we have had no problem and have always hand picked great tenants. That may be a idea you other landlords may need to start doing. Just do it legally. 
