Abandonment and Abandoned Property Notices Template

General template, not legal advice. Have an attorney in your state review before use. Last reviewed October 29, 2026.

Abandonment and Abandoned Property Notices

How to use these notices: abandonment rules are set by each state, and many states spell out the notice wording, the waiting period, the delivery method, storage duties and whether items may be sold or thrown away. Some states require a court order before you take back the home. Look up the rule for your state before you change locks, enter to remove items or dispose of anything. Do not remove a tenant who has not left; that needs a court order.

Notice 1: Notice of belief of abandonment

Date of notice

To (tenant name or names)

Rental property address and unit

Tenant's last known mailing address

Tenant's last known email

To the tenants named above: rent of $Rent past due has been unpaid since Date rent was due, and the landlord believes you have abandoned the home for these reasons: Reasons, such as utilities shut off, no one seen for weeks, belongings removed, neighbor reports.

Unless you contact the landlord in writing by Deadline date to say that you have not abandoned the home and intend to stay, the landlord will treat the tenancy as ended on that date and take back possession, as allowed by state law. The deadline gives you at least Number of days days after this notice is delivered.

Send your written response to: Landlord name, address and email.

Waiting period and delivery rule for your state: Rule checked and the source

Notice 2: Notice of right to reclaim property left behind

Date of notice

To (former tenant and any other known owner)

Former rental address

Mailing address used for this notice

When the tenancy at the address above ended on Date tenancy ended, the following personal property remained in the home:

The items are stored at Storage location. You may claim them by contacting Contact name at Phone and email and arranging a time to pick them up by Claim deadline. Reasonable costs of moving and storing the items, currently $Storage cost to date plus $Daily or monthly storage rate, may need to be paid before release, where state law allows.

If you do not claim the items by the deadline, they may be Sold at public sale, kept, donated or thrown away as allowed by state law. If items are sold, any money left after the costs of storage and sale will be handled as the law requires.

Abandoned property rule for your state (notice period, storage, sale and proceeds): Rule checked and the source

Record of what was done

Date notice 1 delivered and how

Date notice 2 delivered and how

Photos and inventory taken on (date)

Items released, sold or disposed of on (date) and how

Witness name

General template, not legal advice. Have an attorney in your state review before use.