I sold an apartment in 2025, we drew up a deed of transfer, and the new owner received the keys. But his things are still left in the built-in closets and storage room - boxes, old furniture, documents. He hasn't picked them up for several months now. Do I have the right to throw these things away or is there some procedure I should follow?
Technically, it's already his apartment and his things, so you can't just throw them away - that could be considered damage to someone else's property. But there's a perfectly legal way to solve this problem. The safest option is to send him a letter (preferably registered mail with a delivery confirmation) demanding that he pick up his belongings within a reasonable timeframe, say two weeks. In the letter, list exactly what's in the cabinets and storage closet, and make it clear that after the deadline expires, you'll start taking measures.
If he doesn't respond, you can invite him along with two witnesses, draw up a report documenting the property left in the apartment, and move everything to a storage facility (paid storage). You can then recover the storage costs from him. Or, if the things are clearly nobody's concern and are taking up space, you can invite a police officer who will file a report on the discovered property - this documents the fact that you made a legal attempt to return it to its owner.
The key thing is to document everything in writing and with witnesses. This will protect you if he later tries to make claims or complain. Usually people respond pretty quickly once they realize they'll have to pay for storage or face other hassles.
The key thing is not to think of it as "his" problem and "his" things. Technically yes, the apartment is his, but you signed the acceptance-transfer act precisely to document the condition. If something's left behind - that's your headache now, as long as you're the owner or until you formally hand everything over in clean condition.
The simplest and safest way is to send him a registered letter with delivery confirmation. In the letter, state that his things remain in the apartment and ask him to remove them within a reasonable timeframe (typically 7 to 30 days). This creates a paper trail. After the deadline passes, if he doesn't show up, you can take it to court with a claim demanding he remove his property or compensate you for storage and cleaning costs. The court will force him either to collect his things or pay your expenses.
But there's also a more practical option that often works faster - call him and tell him straight up: say your stuff is in the way, you're renting the apartment out during renovations or while selling the property, so tomorrow or the day after it all goes to the dump. Sometimes that kind of "ultimatum" gets people moving way faster than official letters. The main thing is to follow through afterward and actually bring in a cleaner or movers who'll haul everything out. Once he realizes you're serious, he usually shows up.
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