Unfortunately not.\u00a0 There are laws governing what a landlord should do if the tenant vacates a property and leaves some of their belongings behind.\u00a0 Any property left behind by a tenant still belongs to them and if possible, the landlord should always try to return it.\u00a0 If the landlord disposes of the goods and it turns out to be valuable the tenant could make a claim against them for damages.\u00a0 In the case of a car, it could be quite a large claim!<\/p>\n
The Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 states that the landlord may dispose of any property left behind but first they must try and trace the tenant and return their belongings.<\/p>\n
The Torts Act imposes strict procedures that the landlord must follow before a tenant\u2019s property can be disposed of.<\/p>\n
If the landlord has a forwarding address they should write and inform the tenant (preferably by recorded delivery) of their intention to sell or dispose of the items.\u00a0 They should give the tenant three months\u2019 notice of their intention to sell them.<\/p>\n
They should also supply:<\/p>\n
– The landlord\u2019s (or letting agent\u2019s) name and address where they can be contacted<\/p>\n
– Details of the items held<\/p>\n
– Where they are held<\/p>\n
– The date on which the landlord plans to sell the items – this must give the tenant enough time to collect the goods, usually between two and four weeks<\/p>\n
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If the tenant has left suddenly they may not have left a forwarding address and in this instance, the landlord should use a tracing agent to try and find the tenant.\u00a0\u00a0 The landlord needs to demonstrate that they have made reasonable attempts to locate them.\u00a0 Many offer a \u2018no trace no fee\u2019 arrangement.\u00a0 If the tenant cannot be found, the landlord should keep a copy of the agent\u2019s report to show this.<\/p>\n
Although technically the proceeds of any sale of the goods belong to the tenant, the landlord is allowed to deduct reasonable costs from the proceeds of the sale and any sums outstanding such as rent arrears or storage costs.\u00a0 \u00a0Most items left behind by a tenant turn out to be worthless, but it can be useful to take a photograph of the items as evidence before disposing of them.<\/p>\n
While it is quite common to find bits and pieces left behind a tenant, these tend to be worthless.\u00a0 But there have been occasions when we have been quite surprised by what we have found after a tenant leaves a property – from a full-sized treadmill to a set of skis and a toupee left in a biscuit tin!<\/p>\n
And on one occasion the keys to a Range Rover were handed by a vacating tenant to the porter of an apartment block.\u00a0 The tenant said we could keep it but after much discussion we had to insist that the tenant arrange to have it collected!<\/p>\n
If you find a valuable item in your rental property after your tenant has left and are not sure of the right course of action, consult your solicitor or managing agent who will be able to advise you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Unfortunately not.\u00a0 There are laws governing what a landlord should do if the tenant vacates a property and leaves some of their belongings behind.\u00a0 Any property left behind by a tenant still belongs to them and if possible, the landlord should always try to return it.\u00a0 If the landlord disposes of the goods and it … <\/p>\n