Handling a Former Tenant’s Mail

Handling a former tenant’s mail might be something that pops up on your radar as a landlord, and it is important to know what to do with the former tenant’s mail when this does happen. It could start with a few bank statements or utility bills, and before you know it, your hallway is cluttered with someone else’s mail. 

As much as you probably want to just bin the mail, it is important that you don’t do this, as this may result in legal repercussions, which is the last thing you’re going to want to deal with. Here, we’ll go through the steps you should take when dealing with a former tenant’s mail. 

First and foremost, do not open

Never open a former tenant’s mail. According to the Postal Service Act 2000, it is an offence to intentionally delay or open mail addressed to someone else without a reasonable excuse to do so. Opening up a former tenant’s mail as the property owner to find out where their latest address is does not count as a reasonable excuse. 

So, in order to stay protected, make sure you don’t open up any mail or throw any mail away, as this is seen as preventing the former tenant from receiving their mail. 

So, what should you do with a former tenant’s mail? 

Let’s take a look at what you should then do in order to clear the clutter, as well as ensure the sender knows the former tenant has moved. 

Cross out the address

The first step to take is to use a thick black marker to cross out the address of the property. You need to make sure, though, that the name of the former tenant is still clear enough so that the post office knows who the intended recipient is.

Mark the envelope as ‘return to sender’

On the front of the envelope, write something like ‘Return to sender: no longer at this address’. Or, if you have a forwarding address for the previous tenant, you can add this onto the envelope, too. 

Drop it into a Postbox

The great thing about this process is that you don’t need to go to a post office to send the post back. All you need to do is drop the envelope into any Royal Mail postbox, and this will then signal to the sender that their records are out of date. 

Landlord mail forwarding

Obviously, the best-case scenario is to make sure that it is never sent to your property in the first place. In order to do this, you can implement a few landlord mail forwarding strategies during the moving process. 

• The Royal Mail redirection service: during the checkout process, you could ask your tenant if they have set up a formal redirection, which is a paid service ensuring their mail is sent to their new address. 
• The final sweep clause: make sure that you include in your tenancy agreement that tenants are responsible for updating their address with the DVLA, HMRC and their bank. 
• Provide a grace period: you can also offer to keep your former tenant’s mail for a certain period of time, making it clear that once the period is over, their mail will be sent marked as ‘Return to Sender’.

Dealing with debt collectors

You may also be receiving final demand notices or letters from bailiffs for a former tenant, which would make the situation feel a bit more urgent. The main thing to remember is not to panic because you are not liable for the debts of your previous tenants. 

All you need to do is look for the return address or the company name and send it back, or you could call the company and inform them that the tenant has moved out of the property. 

Are you looking for landlord insurance to protect your investment? Our team at  CIA Landlords has the expertise to find a suitable quote for your needs. 

Feel free to visit our advice centre for more help on being an effective landlord. Otherwise, make sure to get in touch with our friendly team of specialists at CIA Landlord Insurance on 01788 818 670.