Personal Property Left Behind After a California Move Out: The Exact Notice and Dollar Rules

Published August 10, 2026

California Civil Code sections 1980 through 1991 set exact windows for reclaiming abandoned property, fifteen days for personal delivery, eighteen for mail, and let a landlord skip public sale entirely under a seven hundred dollar threshold.

The short answer

When a California tenant leaves personal property behind, the landlord must send a written notice describing the items and stating a deadline: at least 15 days if delivered personally, at least 18 days if mailed. If the landlord reasonably believes the unclaimed property is worth less than $700 total, it can be kept or thrown away without a public sale. Above that, a public sale is required. Civil Code sections 1980 through 1991.

Last verified: August 10, 2026

Where this law lives

Civil Code sections 1980 through 1991 form Chapter 5 of the code, titled "Disposition of Personal Property Remaining on Premises at Termination of Tenancy." The chapter applies to landlords and tenants of dwelling units. As of an amendment effective January 1, 2025, most commercial real property is excluded from this chapter, with an exception carved out for self storage facilities. If you manage commercial space, confirm which regime applies to your lease before relying on this chapter.

The chapter does not apply to lost property, which is handled under a different part of the code, or to certain excluded categories such as manufactured homes, mobilehomes, and specified animals left on the premises.

Step one: figure out who counts as an owner

Under section 1980, "tenant" means any paying guest, lessee, or sublessee of the premises. "Owner" means anyone other than the landlord who has a right, title, or interest in the property, which can include a roommate or family member who was never on the lease. "Reasonable belief" is defined as what a prudent person would conclude from the facts at hand, without requiring an investigation, unless the landlord has specific information that would make an investigation reveal something material.

That matters because the notice in the next step has to go to the tenant and to anyone else the landlord reasonably believes might own the property. If a departing tenant's roommate left a bicycle behind, that roommate is entitled to notice too if the landlord has reason to believe it is not the tenant's.

Step two: send the notice, and get the deadline right

Section 1983 requires the landlord to give written notice to the tenant and to any other believed owner. The notice must describe the property in enough detail that the recipient can identify it, and it must tell the recipient where the property can be claimed and by what date.

The deadline in the notice cannot be shorter than these two windows, set out in sections 1983 and 1984:

| Delivery method | Minimum time before disposal |

|---|---|

| Personally delivered | 15 days |

| Sent by first class mail, postage prepaid | 18 days |

The landlord may also send notice by email if the tenant provided an email address, but that does not shorten either statutory window. Section 1984 sets out the actual language the notice must use, including a statement of what happens if the property goes unclaimed: either a public sale with the leftover proceeds going to the county, or, for lower value items, retention or disposal by the landlord.

Step three: check the $700 threshold before you plan a sale

This is the number worth writing down. Under section 1988, if the landlord reasonably believes the total resale value of the unclaimed property is less than $700, the landlord may keep it for personal use or dispose of it in any manner, without holding a public sale. That threshold took its current form under a 2012 amendment (AB 2521), effective January 1, 2013, and the statute text has not indexed it for inflation since. Confirm the current figure directly with the code before relying on it in a dispute, since the Legislature can amend the dollar amount at any time.

Above $700 in reasonably believed resale value, the landlord has to run the public sale process instead of disposing of the property directly.

The two day grace window costs nothing

Sections 1987 and 1990 give departing tenants a short, no cost path to get their things back. If the property is still in the unit and the former tenant, or another believed owner, reclaims it within two days of vacating, the landlord cannot charge for storage. Miss that two day window, and section 1987 allows the landlord to require payment of the reasonable cost of storage before releasing the property, calculated the way section 1990 describes.

Storage duties while you hold the property

Section 1986 requires the landlord to exercise reasonable care in storing property it is holding under this chapter, though it does not turn the landlord into an insurer of the goods. Section 1989 gives landlords liability protection for releasing property to someone who reasonably appeared to be the owner or the owner's agent, which matters if two people show up separately claiming the same items.

Combining this with an abandonment notice

If a landlord is separately declaring the tenancy abandoned under Civil Code section 1951.3, because rent has gone unpaid, section 1991 allows the section 1983 property notice to be sent at the same time as the notice of belief of abandonment, and the two can be combined into a single document that contains everything both sections require. They do not have to be combined, but doing so can save a mailing cycle when a unit is both rent delinquent and full of a tenant's belongings.

FAQ

Do I have to hold a public sale for a couch and some clothes?

Not if you reasonably believe the total resale value of what is left is under $700. Section 1988 lets you keep it or dispose of it without a sale. If you are unsure of the value, err toward treating it as above the threshold and follow the public sale steps instead.

What if I mail the notice instead of handing it to the tenant?

Mailed notice needs a longer runway. The deadline in the notice must be at least 18 days after you deposit it in the mail, versus 15 days for personal delivery, under sections 1983 and 1984.

Does this chapter cover a commercial tenant's leftover equipment?

Generally no, as of the amendment effective January 1, 2025 that excluded most commercial real property from this chapter, except for self storage facilities. Confirm your lease type before applying these rules to a commercial space.

Can I charge storage for the two days right after move out?

No. Sections 1987 and 1990 waive storage charges if the former tenant or a believed owner reclaims the property within two days of vacating.

What happens to the money if property does sell at public sale?

The statute directs any proceeds beyond the landlord's costs toward the county, per the disposition language required in the section 1984 notice.

This is general information about California law, not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your specific property and tenancy with a licensed California attorney.

Topics: playbook, abandoned property, move out, California law, landlord tenant, compliance

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