Abandonment of Goods or Possessions
- Goods left by departing tenants remain the property of the tenants.
- Old TVs and apparently worthless items might look like rubbish - and probably are - but they belong to the tenants.
- Landlords cannot interfere with a tenant's goods or possessions. (Torts) Interference with goods Act 1977.
- The tenants must be advised that their possessions remain and are given an opportunity to collect or recover their belongings.
- A reasonable period of notice must be allowed prior to discarding another's possessions.
- Reasonable costs for storage may be charged and tenants should be advised of this too.
- This is the sort of foresight which is ideally provided within the tenancy agreement prior to establishing a tenancy.
See also
Published: 25 September 2013 Last Updated: 18 November 2021