My Tenant Left in the Night…They Left all their Things…the House is a Mess

 

My tenant left in the night

I’ve been a landlord for almost 13 years. 

 

I have placed 100’s of tenants in my own rentals.

I have only had to evict 3 of my own tenants in 13 years! I have been so blessed and never had any real tenant issues.

I’ve never gotten a house back in terrible condition!

Well, I have to say…I’ve just had my first EVER tenant that left in the night.  They left on the 23rd of August and their rent was paid until August 31.  I had an $800 security deposit. So, they owed me no money when they left.

BUT..they left everything they owned..in the house..including the cockroaches and the grease on the walls!

This tenant was with us for over four and a half years and paid the rent every single month on the 1st or 2nd.  Then, it is my understanding that they got into a terrible financial situation, and could no longer keep their business expenses or personal expenses paid.

A landlord must proceed with caution in determing whether a property is actually abandoned. If you are unsure how to proceed, contact a local attorney to guide you through the process of reclaiming the property.

Here in Melbourne Florida for a house to be considered abandoned ALL of the following conditions must be met:

1. NO one has been in the rental unit for a full 15 days AND you can prove it.

2. The rent is unpaid.

3. No resident or occupant has given the landlord any notice, verbal or written stating that they are going to pay the rent or come back at a later time.

Be very cautious in dealing with abandoned properties. Be sure you keep excellent records in your file.  Be sure to take lots of pictures for your records and keep them in your files.

I love being a landlord.  You just have to learn to take the good with the bad. Every job has it’s ups and downs.  And one of the downs is when your tenant leaves all of their stuff in the house, and they just go. It’s just part of