As a landlord, two of your top priorities are maintaining the good condition of the rental property and the well-being of your tenants. However, despite his efforts, certain problems could not be avoided, especially with his tenants. He may be struggling with back rent, and worse, his tenant left the property without warning.
To make sure the tenant has really vacated your home, pay a visit to your property. Check the mailbox, if it is full of letters, then it is a sign that your tenant has left. In the absence of letters, any change of address can be consulted at the post office. Another sign is the change of the locks on your house or the tenant has taken all of his belongings. Try talking to the neighbors. You can also find out if your tenant moved out, if he or she didn’t contact you or pay rent. State law says that two months of rent that is unpaid or paid fourteen days past the due date are periods for assuming tenant abandonment.
What to do when your tenant has vacated your property, here are some steps that may be of help to you:
1. After learning that the tenant has vacated your property, you can try to contact them through their phone or email. Despite repeatedly contacting his tenant with no response, you could try writing him a letter. Your letter must indicate any outstanding balance and the rental agreement is terminated.
2. If your tenant left behind some belongings, this is called a “deposit.” The items left would be under his supervision. There are some rules to this, but in general, you should store these things. When your tenant claims again, he must return them. However, he will only be able to claim if he has provided you with a written letter between fifteen and twenty days after leaving the premises. The tenant must also pay the storage fee costs before he can retrieve these things within three days.
3. If your tenant has not responded to your letter within 18 days, under most state laws, you can dispose of, keep, or sell the properties left behind. The ones you can keep should be worth no more than $300. The rest could be sold through a public sale accompanied by a posted notice of the activity. The income could cover the costs of its storage, organization and publicity of the sale. The remaining amount would be turned over to the county treasurer. After one year and if the earnings have still not been claimed, you are eligible to claim the money.
4. In the event that jewelry or cash has been inadvertently left behind, file a request with the sheriff’s office or local police station. List the things left, where they are and the name of the owner. The police have to find the owner within ninety days; otherwise, you can claim the items. However, if for any reason the authority denies your request, you must treat the items as abandoned property.
If you want to make sure that the tenant will not hold you responsible for your personal belongings, follow the steps above and consult your attorney immediately.