15 days after a sheriff lockout, and 15 or 18 days after a Notice of Right to Reclaim. After a lockout, the writ of possession gives the former tenant 15 days from the day the landlord takes possession to pay reasonable storage and reclaim their property (Code of Civil Procedure 1174, through CCP 715.030). After an abandonment or an ordinary move-out, the landlord sends a Notice of Right to Reclaim Abandoned Property and must hold the property until the date in that notice, which is at least 15 days if it was hand-delivered and at least 18 if it was mailed (Civil Code 1983). When the period ends: if the total value is under $700 the landlord may keep, sell or destroy it, and at $700 or more it must go to a public sale after published notice, with the net proceeds paid to the county (Civil Code 1988).
Two paths, depending on how the tenant left.
Which set of rules applies has nothing to do with how the unit looks and everything to do with how the tenancy ended. Get the path right first, because the notice, the clock and the paperwork all differ.
| Path A: sheriff lockout (unlawful detainer) | Path B: abandonment or move-out | |
|---|---|---|
| Governing law | CCP 1174, through CCP 715.030 | Civil Code 1980 through 1991 |
| Notice to tenant | Built into the writ of possession | Written Notice of Right to Reclaim Abandoned Property |
| Hold period | 15 days after the landlord takes possession | At least 15 days if hand-delivered, 18 if mailed |
| Notice to other owners | Civil Code 1983 notice to anyone you reasonably believe owns items | The same notice, to the tenant and to any believed owner |
| Storage costs | Tenant pays reasonable storage to reclaim | Same (Civil Code 1990); none if reclaimed within 2 days and the property never left the dwelling (Civil Code 1987(c)) |
| After the period | Under $700: keep, sell or dispose. At $700 or more: public sale after published notice, net proceeds to the county (Civil Code 1988) | Under $700: keep, sell or dispose. At $700 or more: public sale after published notice, net proceeds to the county (Civil Code 1988) |
The timeline, day by day.
Vehicles, firearms, medications and hazardous materials have their own rules and are not covered by the general abandoned-property process. Local ordinances, including San Diego tenant protections, can add requirements on top of state law. Have your attorney sign off on the process you actually run.
- Day 0. The lockout happens, or you discover the unit abandoned. Photograph every room before anything moves.
- Day 0 to 1. Separate obvious trash from personal property. Inventory the property and store it with reasonable care.
- Day 15 or 18. The reclaim deadline, which is either the date on the writ or the date in your notice. Release the property on payment of reasonable storage.
- After the deadline. Under $700, keep, donate or dispose. At $700 or more, publish notice and hold a public sale.
Mistakes that turn into lawsuits.
- Dumping before the deadline. Disposing of property before the reclaim date is the most common error and the most expensive one.
- No photos. Without a dated inventory it is your word against the tenant about what was in the unit.
- Guessing at value. A TV, a bike and a few tools can clear $700 quickly and trigger the public-sale requirement.
- Handing over keys. Supervise reclaim visits. Do not give a former tenant unsupervised access to stored property.
- Storing it in the unit. It blocks your turnover and you are still responsible for reasonable care.
How Gorilla Movers handles it for you.
We are a San Diego moving and storage company, not a junk hauler, which matters here: the same crews and the same warehouse that handle a household move handle the hold, so the property is treated as though it is going back to its owner.
- Room-by-room photos before we touch anything
- Trash and personal property sorted on site by trained crews
- Item-level photo inventory, emailed the same day
- Sealed wooden vaults in our 75,000 sq ft Miramar warehouse
- Tenant reclaims at our dock, by appointment, with a signed release
- A storage-cost ledger for your file
- Disposal, donation or sale preparation when your hold ends
Sources, and one important limit.
California Code of Civil Procedure 1174 and 715.030; California Civil Code 1980 through 1991, including 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988 and 1990; and AB 2521 (2012), which raised the value threshold from $300 to $700.
Gorilla Movers is not a law firm. This page is general information from a moving and storage company, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules vary, so confirm your process with a California landlord-tenant attorney.