Left-Over Personal Belongings

**Itsmeandnikki** · 03-24-2011, 06:30 PM

My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Washington, D.C.
If a sub tenant turns in their keys to the leaseholder, is the leaseholder obligated to store their belongings?

**Mr. Knowitall** · 03-25-2011, 09:47 PM

It will depend upon the facts. What happened?

**Itsmeandnikki** · 03-30-2011, 05:50 PM

The sub tenant called the leaseholder to say that they had just moved out. This was out of the blue. When the leaseholder gets home that evening, it's evident that the sub tenant had moved because their clothes and a few other items were gone. Some other items still remained, yet the keys were left on the table. If the sub tenant has turned in their keys, while disregarding some of thier own items, is this still an official move out and is the leaseholder obligated to store the leftover items. Also a week after the move out arrangements were made for the former sub tenant to pick up their last bits of mail, but none were made about the remaing items.

**Mr. Knowitall** · 03-30-2011, 06:10 PM

When you asked the former subtenant whether they were going to collect the remaining items or if they should be discarded as abandoned, what did the former subtenant tell you?

Rent is paid through when?

**Itsmeandnikki** · 03-31-2011, 05:10 PM

I didn't ask. I assumed by leaving the keys that they were fully aware of what they had left behind. Otherwise, why leave the keys and call to say "I've moved out"?

**Who'sThatGuy** · 04-01-2011, 03:43 PM

Quoting Itsmeandnikki

I didn't ask. I assumed by leaving the keys that they were fully aware of what they had left behind. Otherwise, why leave the keys and call to say "I've moved out"?

Again, "Rent is paid through when?" If the rent is paid till the end of the month, then you can't touch anything in the apartment. The tenant left there keys on the table, they didn't hand there keys in.

**Itsmeandnikki** · 04-01-2011, 04:19 PM

The rent was paid through march and the leaseholder paid it in full.

**Mr. Knowitall** · 04-02-2011, 08:35 AM

People avoid a lot of problems through communication. People create a lot of problems for themselves, including legal liability, by refusing to communicate, making assumptions, and acting out of anger. Other than a minute or two of time it won't cost you anything to pick up a phone and call the former subtenant to confirm that the items left behind are abandoned and may be discarded.