How are landlords supposed to deal with tenant belongings left behind?
When the tenant is forcibly evicted or leaves possessions behind, the sheriff will remove them from the premises, and leave them under the care of the landlord or whatever storage facility the landlord may choose. The landlord is not obligated to give them back to the tenant unless the tenant pays back rent or costs of storage. If the property is worth more than $750, the landlord will have to get permission from the Secretary of the Treasury to sell it. If it is worth less than that, he may sell it unless the tenant claims it within 24 days.
