‘That’s the new tenant’s problem‘: Renter says most of his mail is for previous tenants. What can he do about it?

A renter recently complained that most of the mail he receives in the post is for the previous tenant and is at a loss for what to do about it.

Daniel Bennett (@dxnielbennett) posted about the conundrum to TikTok and posits in the caption, “That’s the new tenant's problem.”

In the video, he says, “There is an unsaid rule when you move apartments. Everyone knows it, but nobody talks about it, and that is you don’t change your mailing address.”

He continues, “Basically, all the [expletive] you don’t care about getting sent to your new address, you just let it get sent to the old address.”

Case in point, Bennett says, is his own mailbox.

“I just went to get the mail. I have two things, two things in my mail, and guess what? Ninety percent of the other 50 things in my mailbox are for the person that lived in this apartment before me," he claims.

Bennett admits that he’s also guilty of not setting up a forwarding address for his previous apartment. 

“I know for a fact that I have some [expletive] being sent there as well,” he says.

Viewers were divided

Bennett’s video received over 177,000 views, with users split on the issue. Many argued that setting up a forwarding address was a simple matter and that Bennett was being lazy in not doing so. 

“USPS has free mail forwarding bro, just like a 3 minute sign up max,” one person wrote.

“No. I always change my address. I don’t want my mail going to someone else,” another person said. 

“This makes zero sense,” contended a third. 

However, several people agreed that it was a widespread issue and shared their own experiences of receiving other people’s mail. 

“The last tenant I opened their mail and they are 50k in debt to the IRS … I was like okay gurl keep running I ain’t snitching,” one person said.

“When I lived in an apartment I was getting mail for at least 5 previous tenant,” another said. 

How to change your mailing address

It is easy to change a mailing address or set up a forwarding address. Simply follow the instructions on USPS' Official USPS Change of Address website. The only requirement is that you must verify your identification online.

However, if you are unable to verify your identity online, move outside of the United States, or request a change of address for someone else, you may have to go to the post office in person. 

How to stop receiving a previous tenant's mail

There is no official way to stop receiving unwanted mail from USPS, but you can always refuse or return it. If you receive a piece of mail that you do not want, USPS says that you should mark it as "Refused" and return it within a reasonable amount of time. Make sure not to open the mail, as opened envelopes cannot be accepted as refused.

USPS does not offer any official channel to put a stop to a previous tenant's mail being delivered to your address. But Reddit does offer some suggestions. One thread says that if you happen to receive mail at the right location but addressed to someone who doesn't live at the address, you can write "Not at this address" on the envelopes. Then, return the mail to the carrier or drop it off in a mail collection box.

The Daily Dot reached out to Bennett and USPS via email for further updates.

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The post ‘That’s the new tenant’s problem‘: Renter says most of his mail is for previous tenants. What can he do about it? appeared first on The Daily Dot.