Abandoned vs. Lost Property

• Many states make a distinction between a tenant's "lost" and "abandoned" property. Lost property is defined as property of value that the landlord can reasonably assume was not purposely left behind. Abandoned property refers to property that tenants willfully left in the dwelling.
  
  

Lost Property

• If a state makes the distinction between lost and abandoned property, very often the state will require the landlord to turn "lost" property over to the local police. If the tenant does not claim the property after a period of time, the landlord may be able to keep it.
  
  

Storage

• A landlord is required in most states to store a tenant's abandoned property safely for a specific period of time.
  
  

Tenant Notice

• Most states require that a landlord notify the tenant of both the location of his property as well as the landlord's intention to sell it.
  
  

Sale of Property

• After a landlord has given proper notice to the former tenant, many states allow a landlord to sell the property and recoup the costs of tenant notification and storage.