Help! Can I charge for storage of stuff left?

Hi

You have to store them for 3 months unless there is a term in your tenancy agreement that states the items need to be collected after a certain amount of time after the tenancy ends or they will be disposed of.

The abandon notice is invalid as the tenant has not abandoned the property they have been evicted.

You can charge the tenant for the storage costs but chances are the storage will be worth more than the items if left for 3 months and you would then have to pay the bill and try to claim it back from the tenant.

This seems so unfair on Landlords but this is the truth.

You may get comments on here telling you otherwise but this is 100% the correct answer as I have been through this a couple of times and now ensure I have a clause written into the agreement giving 14 days after the tenancy ends to collect and items left behind or they will be sold or disposed of.

Can you rent a garage from the council or private person in your area?
Use this for storage.
Whilst insurance may be difficult you can mitigate by-

Take photographs of all the property so you have an idea of value and and
get a couple of valuers to value it in situ.
Whilst you have uo pay for this you have an independent (or two) set of inventories in case T returns for their stuff.
We have had this situation s few times and only once has T returned.
You can then get unto the property to start the refurbishment.

Talk to a solicitor about the Torts (Interference With Goods) Act. Use that to require T to remove goods and in default you can sell them with good title. That assumes they’re worth something. If T doesn’t remove them then they’re a trespass, and yes, in principle you can claim for removal and storage charges. Good luck with that.

Hi. I’m not sure how you will get the outgoing tenant to pay for it unless you have a deposit you have yet to return. This is assuming they were not evicted for non payment of rent, which you are unlikely ever to get back.

Abandonment notice is an urban myth. You have to keep things for a reasonable time. The abandonment notice, if deemed served. I.e actually given to the tenant is evidence of you being reasonable. If course this will depend on the item, if they left a gold watch and you dumped it after 22 days you maybe unreasonable. If its an old pair of socks that’s different. For those saying that can change storage ask for their legal reference. You can if course carefully pack it and move it into one room in the mean time. Take photos first and use your common sense.