What if the tenant leaves personal property after vacating?
You are responsible for safeguarding a tenant`s personal property for (not to exceed) THIRTY (30) days. During that period, it would be to your advantage to allow the tenant to remove the property if you can make arrangements to do so in a reasonable amount of time. If the tenant cannot be reached, you must mail a certified letter to his last known address and inform him that he has (THIRTY) 30 days from the day after he was locked out to pick up his property or it will be disposed of after that date. The tenant may also be charged the costs you incur in inventorying, moving and storing his property. If those costs are not paid, you DO NOT have to release his property. However, YOU CANNOT HOLD A TENANT`S PROPERTY IF HE FAILS TO PAY THE RENT. The rent debt after the lockout is a separate action which can be pursued through Small Claims.
