Q: How long does a person have to get their possessions after leaving the place they lived at without a lease or paid rent?
We had friends live with us for about 2 months in our home that we live in and own under the verbal agreement they would pay rent and get a job (and other verbal agreements) to which they never paid rent or kept a job longer than a few days. A few days ago (Fri) we asked for that they pay us rent by the end of this month (Aug) because they were supposed to start a new job on Monday . The next day they packed up a few things, including a pack and play for their baby to sleep in, and left without talking to us. The next day the dad came with his sister and filled her car with more of their belongings then later that same day they did admit, in a facebook message, they were not going to be living with us anymore. I asked them to get their belonging out ASAP and more specifically by this weekend for my daughters birthday party so we can have our room back which would be the 7th day since they verbally told us they were leaving and the 8th day since they actually left.
A: When a tenant abandons their property, the landlord can throw out their trash immediately. With regards to valuable property, a Chicago ordinance sets out rules for that city, including the requirement that the landlord must hold or store valuable property for seven days before disposing of it. See City of Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance § 15-12-130(f).
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