Is Landlord Responsible for Tenant’s Mail After Move Out?

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Is the landlord responsible for tenant mail after move out and what to do with tenant's mail left at my rental

What to do with tenant’s mail after move out is the question this week for Ask Landlord Hank. Remember Hank is not an attorney and is not offering legal advice. If you have a question for him please fill out his form below.

Dear Landlord Hank:

Is it the responsibility of the landlord to forward mail to a previous tenant?

This tenant already said, before she left/ended her lease, that she would take care of the mailbox, yet her mail continues to be delivered in this address.

Please advise as to landlord’s responsibility re: mail. Thank you.

–Priscilla

Dear Landlady Priscilla,

As landlord, you do have responsibility for a tenant’s mail, and cannot just throw it away.

I would contact my former tenant and ask that they submit a change-of-address form to the post office.

Then I would contact the post office to let them know that the tenant is no longer at this address and ask that mail be forwarded.

Sincerely,

Hank Rossi

Each week I answer questions from landlords and property managers across the country in my “Dear Landlord Hank” blog in the digital magazine Rental Housing Journal.    https://rentalhousingjournal.com/asklandlordhank/

 

Is the landlord responsible for tenant mail after move out and what to do with tenant's mail left at my rental
Landlord Hank says, “As landlord, you do have responsibility for a tenant’s mail, and cannot just throw it away.”

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I started in real estate as a child watching my father take care of our family rentals- maintenance, tenant relations, etc , in small town Ohio. As I grew, I was occasionally Dad’s assistant. In the mid-90s I decided to get into the rental business on my own, as a sideline. In 2001, I retired from my profession and only managed my own investments, for the next 10 years. Six years ago, my sister, working as a rental agent/property manager in Sarasota, Florida convinced me to try the Florida lifestyle. I gave it a try and never looked back. A few years ago we started our own real estate brokerage. We focus on property management and leasing. I continue to manage my real estate portfolio here in Florida and Atlanta.