Can my landlord still get his mails at my address?

By Tenant

Surprisingly, a lot of the rental problems today spring from a mailbox issue. Yes, it’s all in the mail. I heard of a woman asking forums why her apartment complex does not have a mailbox and apparently, she has reason to complain since USPS guidelines state that an apartment complex should have a secure mailbox that is easily accessible. And since USPS is like the official mailing partner of the US government then their guidelines would be equivalent to laws.



Now, I have a not-so-similar problem. My family and I are renting a home. Yes, we have our own mailbox where we get our mails. However, we’re also getting my landlord’s mails in this address. So every two weeks, he comes by collect his mail and I think, also check in on us. My family and I don’t feel very comfortable with this setup. Also, we don’t want to be responsible for our landlord’s mail. The mails are very private so I don’t think I would want to be asked for them.

So anyway, I just thought of sharing my experience with you in case you are stuck in a similar situation.

  • Don’t panic. If you can’t talk to your landlord nicely, go to USPS. Ask them if it’s right for your landlord to still get the mails in your cluster mailbox. Again, USPS is an authority so they can definitely answer your mailing concerns.
  • Correct the address. If you get your landlord’s mails, you can write “Not this address, return to sender.” Yes, your landlord may not like this but you can just tell him your reasons. If you know your landlord’s new address or PO Box, you can also write it on the back of the envelope so USPS can send it to the correct address.
  • Don’t pay for your own box. Seriously, you’re already paying rent and that includes access to the mailbox. So you wouldn’t want to spend additional on mailboxes, especially a PO Box.
  • Tell your landlord that it’s a kind of fraud to continue receiving mails in an address where he doesn’t live in.

There could be many reasons why your landlord may not want to receive his mails in his address. One of these could be because he is hiding from other people. This is something that you do not want to deal with. As far as you’re concerned, you’re the tenant and he’s your landlord – that should be the end of your relationship. You are not his secretary so you have no obligation to keep his mails.

You know, I did all these steps too but landlord still insisted that mails be delivered in our address. We can’t just move because of this. We’re in a lease and we’re pretty much satisfied with the house we’re renting. The only problem is the mails.

So here’s what I did as a final resort, I filed a formal complaint against him. I used this link, in case you’re asking how I did it: http://www.rentalprotectionagency.com/complaint_center.php

Yup, that solved the problem alright.

Edited on: Monday, October 21st, 2013 7:31 am

10 Responses to “Can my landlord still get his mails at my address?”

My response: (We welcome stories, examples, explanations, answers and a touch of your personality)
 

Anonymous

February 8th, 2013 5:20 pm

I don?t know what these kinds of landlords think. I mean, just because we’re paying the rent and they’re the owners doesn’t mean that they can do anything they want. You are not obliged to be their secretaries and even to say “yes” or “ok” to their every request. We pay the rent on time and that includes payment for the mailbox. The lease even says that the property is yours for the time you signed.


Anonymous

February 9th, 2013 2:40 pm

Your landlord might be hiding from the IRS, fooling his insurance companies or running away from creditors. I don’t know if it’s possible to even be charged for helping someone hide by not correcting the address.


Anonymous

February 10th, 2013 12:00 pm

I don’t know if I can tell that to my landlord. I came from a culture that doesn’t really say no to requests. Besides, I’m afraid our tenant-landlord relationship will be ruined and they mght not renew my lease. Worse, they might even try to evict me for trying. So I’ll just continue with the setup until my lease is up. Then before I sign the renewal, I’ll tell my landlord about the mails.


Anonymous

February 11th, 2013 9:00 am

Well, if you don’t want tp deal with your landlord, you can request for your own PO Box. It’s, I think $20, per month. Can you still afford an additional expense?


Anonymous

February 12th, 2013 6:00 am

A PO Box isn’t very practical as your home may only be temporary. You’re just renting and you’ll probably out there soon so you’ll just lose your PO Box address. Like I said, not practical at all.


Anonymous

February 13th, 2013 3:20 am

Check your local attorney and see if there is some legal aid that you can get. But remember, hiring a lawyer can be quite expensive so you may want to reconsider the decision. Instead, a cheaper alternative would be to get a mediator involved. RPA is one of those mediator companies. Maybe they can help you.


Anonymous

February 14th, 2013 12:20 am

I think the landlord is up to something illegal. It’s best if you don’t get involved. Do the pieces of advice in the article. Those are exactly what I would do.


Anonymous

February 14th, 2013 9:40 pm

Maybe your landlord is just trying to annoy you to get you out of the lease agreement early. Don’t try and give him that satisfaction.


Anonymous

February 15th, 2013 6:40 pm

You might be moving out in a couple of months so is it truly worth the effort for you to go throgh the hassle of correcting the mails?


Anonymous

February 16th, 2013 4:00 pm

This is a lesson learned for all of us. Before aigning the agreement, ask about everything else?even the tiniest bits of information will help you make the right decision.


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