Tenant left property and I found something

[Tammy Mason]

I evicted a tenant. He left the property about 3 days ago. I came to the house today and it looks like nothing has been moved. I'm changing the locks but it looks like a lot of the stuff is still there, furniture, few clothes, food packs etc... And I notice part of the ceiling was damaged, my husband went up to check and to our surprise, there was a bundle of cash wrapped in plastic! roughly about $200. I tried calling the previous tenant but he is not picking up. What do you think is the best thing to do with all these stuff left behind?

[Nathan Gesner]

As a Landlord, it is your responsibility to know the law. You should consider buying "Every Landlord's Legal Guide" by NOLO. If your rental is in California, make sure you get the California edition. This book is full of practical advice and tells you exactly where to go to read the laws yourself. They also have a great website as a reference, but I still recommend the book.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-enc...

Their guide is pretty good, so I won't add much. When it comes time to empty the unit, I recommend you do it as quickly as possible. If you spend three days emptying it out, the tenant may show back up and start trying to take things or escalate into a fight.