How long before I can dispose of personal property left behind by an ex-roommate who was not on the lease?
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How long before I can dispose of personal property left behind by an ex-roommate who was not on the lease?
I had my partner living with me and when the relationship went sour I had him move out. This was about a month ago. He is not on my lease and he still has personal property in my apartment. I have asked him several times to collect his belongings and all I get are excuses. He moved out 4 weeks ago.
Asked on December 9, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Arizona
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If a former roommate has vacted a rental leaving personal property behind, the best way to dispose of it is to send a letter to him certified mail at his forwarding address requesting that the items be picked up by a stated date and if not, they will be disposed of.
If the items are worth less than $300.00 collectively, then you can dispose of the property any way you want. If the items are worth more than $300.00, I suggest that you take the property to an off site rental company and place the items in the former roommate's name with his forwarding address on it. Write the former roommate where the items are keeping a copy of the letter for future use. If he does not keep current on the rent, the off site storage company will auction off the property to pay the overdue rental fee.
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