Apartment dwellers, when you get mail from a previous tenant, what is the proper thing to do with the mail?

Answer 1

In the US, it is a federal offense to tamper--open-tear- discard-another person's mail.
If you know where the other person has moved-like a roomie or old boyfriend--write the new address on the envelope, and put it back in your mailbox for the mailman to pick up.
If you don't know, write : Addressee Unknown, Return to Sender-- on the envelope and put it back in your box.
If you accidently open it-tape it back up and do the same.
Do not mess with it, especially if it someone who is mad at you--you could go to jail.
If it says- joe blow or current resident-it is yours now.
Or if it says-- Occupant-that is you, too.
This applies to magazines or anything else, altho most magazines won't pay to have them returned or forwarded.
Do unto--

Answer 2

You can consult the management for the apartment complex, to see if they have a new address for the previous tenant. For example, if there was a deposit to be returned or unpaid bills, there's a good chance the office might have the new address and could ensure the mail gets to the proper place.

If no address is available, write: "Moved/No Forwarding Address" on the mail and place it back in the mailbox.

Answer 3

i imagine i'd merely throw the stuff away! in case you want to be a real Goodie-2-shoes, you should mark each and every little bit of mail with "no longer At This handle," or something like that. for sure the former tenant did not get his mail 'forwarded' to his new handle. i'd don't have any project with merely throwing his stuff away!

Answer 4

Doing ANYTHING with the mail other than returning it to the post office or previous tenant, is a Federal offense, punishable by law, if you live in the USA.

Answer 5

For the first 6mths after I moved here, I returned to post office, with not known at this address on it, but I couldnt trace previous owners and after a while got sick of doing it, some also looked like threatening letters
Now after a year I just toss it in the bin, Im not their secretary and they have ample time to arrange to have mail forwarded.

Answer 6

Simply write on the envelope - "no longer at this address" and put it back in your mail box for the postal carrier to take. You could also write: "not at this address since________" (and then put in the month, year if you know it.) You could also write "moved & left no forwarding address, and again, put back into any mailbox & it will be returned to sender, or forwarded if possible.

Answer 7

If it's obviously junk mail (mail order catalog, advertisement for car insurance, etc.) I throw it away. If it looks legitimate, I write "Undeliverable as addressed--Addressee no longer resides at this address." and drop it in the mail. I've yet to have anything returned to me.

Answer 8

Cross out address with a pen and drop in mailbox. You must do this. It is a federal offense to keep mail not addressed to you unless it says "or current resident".

Answer 9

We've got a table that we put mail for previous residents on, which is where I put bills and things. I kept getting a catalog for a previous resident, so I called them and told them to stop sending it.

Answer 10

If they are junk mail, thrash them. If they look important, return it to the post office by mailing it back....write "Return to sender". No additional postage is needed.