What to do if my tenant left the house without notice, broke his lease and left he house with needed cleaning, repairs and an unpaid garbage bill?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if my tenant left the house without notice, broke his lease and left he house with needed cleaning, repairs and an unpaid garbage bill?
He won’t answer my calls or texts and I don;t know where he moved to. What can I do to recover all the house keys, mailbox keys and garage door openers?
Asked on November 27, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Arizona
Answers:
Anne Brady / Law Office of Anne Brady
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
In the event of abandonment of a lease, see ARS 33-1370. You need to send a Notice of Abandonment to the tenant's last known address. You also need to post the notice. Five days after that, you can retake possession. If there is a security deposit you can use it to pay any abandonment related costs. See the statute for the rules regarding any possessions left behind by the tenant. You may be able to sue the former tenant for the value/cost of replacing the keys and locks, however ever if you effect service by publication and get a default judgment, you will not be able to collect if you can not find him.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.