The responsibilities of a great landlord do not end once the tenant has vacated the rental. A tenant’s mail may continue to arrive at the property’s mailbox even after they’re long gone.
It’s a tenant’s responsibility to keep their mail forwarding information up to date with the USPS and provide it to their landlord as part of the move-out process. However, some tenants might forget to do it and you could be left with an additional task to complete.
If you want to learn how to address this issue and reduce it in the future, this article is for you! Keep reading to learn how to deal with mail that belongs to previous renters.
How to Stop Receiving Mail from Previous Tenants
There are a couple of things you can do to stop your previous renters’ mail from being delivered to your property.
The first thing to do if you continue to receive mail addressed to prior renters is to check if the mail has a barcode. The post office may be using an automated system to sort mail through the use of a barcode that corresponds to a person’s address.
If a barcode is present in the mail, make sure to cross it off, write something like “Return to Sender” or “Moved” near the barcode, and put the envelope or package back in the mailbox. This will allow the postal service to appropriately handle the mail.
Another thing you could do is leave a note on your property’s mailbox stating that your previous renter no longer resides at the property. You can write something along the lines of “[Former Tenant] no longer lives at this address, please only leave mail for [Current Tenant].”
The note must be clearly placed on the mailbox so the mail carrier can easily see it and sort the mail accordingly.
However, if a tenant’s mail continues to arrive, even after trying to return it to the sender and posting a notice for the mail carrier, you may have to talk to the carrier personally or speak to the Postmaster at your local post office.
Other Concerns Regarding Receiving Previous Tenants’ Mail
Why Should I Have the Recent Address of a Former Tenant?
Having your former renter’s present address is important for both legal and business reasons. Not only will you need it to send the tenant’s security deposit refund within the legally required timeframe, but you would also need it if you ever want to file a claim.
If the situation comes to that, going to small claims court would require sending legal notices or letters. To contact or communicate with a tenant, you must have their current mailing address.
Can I Read, Shred, or Throw Away a Previous Tenant’s Mail?
It is illegal to read, shred, or dispose of a prior tenant’s mail. Doing so may be considered theft and could result in legal consequences. Make sure to protect yourself and your business by treating your previous tenant’s mail appropriately.
Can I Fill Out a Change of Address Form on Behalf of My Previous Tenant?
It may be tempting to fill out the Change of Address form on your own, but doing so could end up complicating things further, as filling out the form without authorization is illegal. Only the prior tenant, an executor, a guardian, or an authorized agent can legally fill out the Change of Address form.
What if a Tenant Has Passed Away and I’m Still Receiving Their Mail?
If you need to stop mail from being sent to a deceased tenant, you can do the following:
- Fill out the Association of National Advertisers’ Deceased Do Not Contact form. This will notify organizations that employ marketing and mailing lists. While this may not completely prevent you from receiving junk mail, it should significantly reduce it. It may take around three months for the changes to take effect.
- Write “Deceased, Return to Sender” on any mail received, contact your carrier, or visit your local post office and discuss things with the Postmaster.
- Contact the companies directly or notify the sender of the tenant’s passing.
What Is the Role of USPS?
When the USPS receives mail marked as “Not at this Address,” they’re usually able to reroute the mail accordingly. If the letter or package has been tagged as undeliverable, the USPS will handle it according to the instructions indicated on the mail by the sender.
Bottom Line
Receiving a previous tenant’s mail can be a time-consuming and unnecessary addition to your busy schedule. If you’re a landlord who wants to prevent this from happening in the future but would like to avoid the extra hassle, partner with a reliable property management company like East Bay Property Management!
Our team of experts will take care of advertising your property and screening tenants to ensure compliance with the lease agreement and prevent you from receiving their mail after they have moved out. Contact us today for more information!
