How do I get rid of abandoned personal property before new tenants move into my rental unit?

Full question:

My tenant moved from Tucson to Phoenix. He had been planning his move for the past 3 months. He left behind some of his belongings, which includes a bike, a television set and a recliner sofa chair, in the rental unit. He is not coming back anytime soon and I have to clear out the unit before the next tenant moves in. What are my options?

• Category: Landlord Tenant
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: Arizona

Answer:

In Arizona, law dictates that there is some procedure to follow pertaining to the disposal of personal property left in an abandoned property. It’s important to follow proper procedure when a property is abandoned. First, a notice of abandonment must be sent to the tenant by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the tenant’s last known address (even if that is the abandoned unit) and to any of tenant’s alternate addresses known to the landlord.

Any property with value must be stored, the tenant must be notified, and the landlord can move to sell the property and use the proceeds to cover his costs if the property is not claimed within the stated time frame. The maximum notice time allowed to the tenant is 10 days from the receipt of notice. Property with little to no value can be disposed of by the landlord if it is determined that the value is so low that the costs of moving, storing and conducting a public sale exceed the value of the property.

If the tenant makes no reasonable effort to recover the property within this time frame then the landlord may sell the property, retain the proceeds, and apply them toward the outstanding rent or other costs which have been incurred by the landlord due to tenant’s abandonment.