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:
- State: Arizona
Answer:
In Arizona, there is a specific process for handling personal property left in an abandoned rental unit. First, you must send a notice of abandonment to the tenant via certified mail, return receipt requested. This notice should be sent to the tenant's last known address, which may be the abandoned unit, and any other addresses you know.
If the property has value, you are required to store it and notify the tenant. If the tenant does not claim the property within ten days of receiving the notice, you may sell it and use the proceeds to cover any costs incurred due to the tenant's abandonment.
For items deemed to have little or no value, you can dispose of them if the costs of moving, storing, and selling exceed the property's value. If the tenant makes no reasonable effort to recover their belongings within the notice period, you can sell the items and apply the proceeds toward any outstanding rent or other costs (A.R.S. § 33-1370).
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.