Changes to handling goods abandoned at the end of a tenancy

From Monday, 1 November, the Commissioner for Consumer Protection will no longer issue Abandoned Goods Certificates and no new applications will be processed if they are received after Sunday, 31 October.

Abandoned Goods

Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (RTA), a landlord, or their property manager, could previously ask the Commissioner for Consumer Protection to supply a written statement of the Commissioner’s opinion about certain goods. This opinion related to whether the estimated value of the abandoned goods is or is not less than the total estimated cost to remove the goods, store them for at least 60 days, and sell them at private auction.

Consumer Protection has recently adopted changes to the policy that relates to this part of the law. The process and responsibilities for landlords in managing abandoned goods has not changed and the onus remains on the landlord to produce documentation to demonstrate compliance with the RTA. In this respect, the rights of the tenant also remain unchanged.

Shelter WA will be following up with the sector to determine the implications of this policy change and the potential impact on housing providers.

Further Information

Information about the changes can be found here.