What can a landlord do with a tenant’s belongings left behind in Delaware?
In Delaware, if a tenant leaves belongings behind when a writ of possession is executed, the landlord may remove and store them at the tenant’s expense for 7 days, and belongings not claimed, with the removal and storage costs reimbursed, by the end of that period are deemed abandoned and may be disposed of without further notice. Where an appeal of the possession judgment has been filed, the landlord stores the belongings until 7 days after the appeal is resolved. Every writ of possession must carry a printed notice telling the tenant that property not removed within 24 hours may be removed and stored for 7 days at the tenant’s expense and then disposed of. A manufactured home must be stored for 30 days instead. After a possession judgment for a tenant who abandoned the unit, with no appeal, the landlord may remove and store the items left behind at the tenant’s expense, and seven days after the appeal period expires they are deemed abandoned and may be disposed of without further notice or liability. This is 25 Del. C. §§ 5715, 5507.
| What | Delaware |
|---|---|
| Belongings left behind | Store 7 days after the writ, then dispose |
| What the statute requires first | Notice, a waiting period or storage before disposal |
What the statute says
“… the landlord shall have the right to and may immediately remove and store such property for a period of 7 days, at tenant’s expense …”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
Read the statute in the Delaware Code (Delaware General Assembly): delcode.delaware.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora keeps a lease’s end date and every notice sent through it, with the date it went out, in the lease record — so the dates a rule like this one counts from are on file rather than remembered.
Guides on this rule
- Tenant Abandoned Property Laws by State — What a landlord must do with belongings a tenant leaves behind, with the notice and storage rule in each of the 43 jurisdictions that set one.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho