Heads up for landlords! New notice requirements regarding abandoned personal property.

California Civil Code §§1946, 1946.1 and 1950.5.

Amended by A.B. No. 2303 and A.B. No. 2521

Effective date: January 1, 2013

To terminate a periodic tenancy upon sale of the rented property, a residential property owner must serve the tenant with a notice to vacate.

A landlord must include a statement notifying residential tenants of their right to reclaim abandoned personal property in:

  • residential notices to vacate [See first tuesday Forms 569, 569-1, 575, 575-1, 576 and 577]; and
  • the notice of the tenant’s right to request a joint pre-expiration inspection of the property. [See first tuesday Form 567-1]

The statement must read:

“State law permits former tenants to reclaim abandoned personal property left at the former address of the tenant, subject to certain conditions. You may or may not be able to reclaim property without incurring additional costs, depending on the cost of storing the property and the length of time before it is reclaimed. In general, these costs will be lower the sooner you contact your former landlord after being notified that property belonging to you was left behind after you moved out.”

Editor’s Note — Current first tuesday students and purchasers of first tuesday Forms-on-CD 4.3 may download a FREE copy of these updated forms. Log in to your student homepage at www.firsttuesday.us using your eight-digit Department of Real Estate (DRE) license number or T-number and click,first tuesday Forms Downloads and Updates.”