What are the laws regarding the abandonment of rental property?
In Pennsylvania, the law requires that landlords must follow specific procedures if a tenant abandons their rental property. The landlord must wait a specific amount of time before declaring the property abandoned. That time period is thirty days for tenants who pay rent on a monthly basis, fifteen days for tenants who pay rent on a weekly basis, and three days for tenants who pay rent on a daily basis. The landlord must send a notice of abandonment to the tenant, which must be sent to their last known address. The notice should also include instructions for the tenant on how to contact the landlord to let them know they are not abandoning the property and how to arrange for the return of their personal property. Once the landlord has waited the proper amount of time and sent the notice of abandonment, they must make an effort to return the tenant’s personal property to them or store it in a safe place and inform them of where it is being stored. The landlord must also inform the tenant of any money owed to them, such as a security deposit. The law also states that the landlord can keep any items that are provided with the rental unit, such as furniture, appliances, or other items, if the tenant has abandoned the property. However, the landlord must provide notice to the tenant of what items they will be keeping and the estimated value of those items. The landlord must also report the abandonment to the local police and the county clerk’s office. By following all of the steps outlined by the law, landlords in Pennsylvania can properly handle the abandonment of a rental property.
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