Tenancy: disposition of personal property abandoned in common areas.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details on what happens if the items are not claimed within the specified time frame.

Handling Abandoned Items in Common Areas

The bill sets rules for landlords when dealing with personal property left by tenants in common areas during their stay.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes optional procedures for landlords to follow if they find items left behind by tenants in shared spaces like hallways or lobbies.
• Requires landlords to give written notice to the tenant or anyone else who might own the abandoned property.
• Allows landlords to leave the items where they are, store them safely, or keep them for their own use.
• Prohibits landlords from charging tenants storage fees if the tenant picks up the items within 15 days of receiving the notice or 18 days after it was mailed.

Who It Names or Affects

• Landlords who manage rental properties with common areas
• Tenants living in these rental properties

Terms To Know

Common Area

Parts of a building that are shared by all tenants, like hallways or lobbies.

Premises

The property where someone lives or works as a tenant.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify what happens if the items are not claimed within the given time frame.
• Does not detail how landlords should handle personal property left in private areas of rental units.

Official Summary Text

SB 1335, as amended, Strickland.
Tenancy: disposition of personal
property: definitions.
property abandoned in common areas.
Existing law provides optional procedures for a landlord to dispose of personal property that remains on the premises, including common areas, after a tenancy has terminated and the premises has been vacated by the tenant.
This bill would establish similar optional disposition of personal property that remains in a common area during a tenancy. The bill would require the landlord to give written notice to the tenant or any other person the landlord reasonably believes is the owner of the personal property, as provided. The bill would require the property to either be left in the common area or stored by the landlord in a place of safekeeping until the
landlord releases the property, disposes of the property, or retains the property for the landlord’s own use. The bill would prohibit the landlord from requiring the tenant to pay the cost of storage if the tenant reclaims the property within 15 days of having received the notice or 18 days after the notice was mailed, as provided.
Existing law provides optional procedures for the disposition of personal property that remains on the premises after a tenancy has terminated and the premises have been vacated by the tenant. Existing law defines various terms for these purposes.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those definitions.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF