Deadline to Reclaim Personal Property After a Sheriff's Eviction
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed March 12, 2025
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
I want to clarify one question about an eviction in Los Angeles, California. I was evicted by the sheriff's department, and the deputies told me that I legally have 15 days to go back and remove my personal belongings. They gave me a number to contact. I just want to know whether that is true or false, because I know the rules change from city to city. I will not provide any personal information regarding the case number.
Attorney Answer
What the sheriff told you is generally accurate: after a sheriff-enforced lockout, California gives you a specific window to reclaim personal property left behind, and that window is set by the date printed on the writ of possession — commonly about 15 days after the writ is served.
After a sheriff enforces a lockout, the landlord does not get to throw your belongings away immediately. State law requires the landlord to store the personal property left behind in a place of safekeeping. You then have the right to get it back by paying reasonable storage costs and claiming it no later than the date specified in the writ of possession. If it is not reclaimed by that date, the landlord may dispose of it under a separate Civil Code procedure, which includes giving notice to anyone other than the tenant who may own some of the property.
The important nuance is that the controlling deadline is the date on your writ, not a universal number of days. The roughly 15 days you were told is the usual result, but the writ itself is the document that governs. Two different evictions can produce two different reclaim dates.
If that date has already passed, the landlord is no longer obligated to hold the property, and the legal right to compel its return is gone. It is still worth asking — many landlords will release items that have not yet been disposed of — but that is a request, not an entitlement.
What you can do
1. Get a copy of the actual writ of possession, which states the specific reclaim date. That date controls.
2. Contact the landlord or storage location in writing to arrange pickup and ask what storage costs are being charged.
3. Bring identification and, if you have it, proof the property is yours when you go to reclaim it.
4. If items belong to someone who was not the tenant, say so — that triggers a separate notice requirement before disposal.
5. If you are told the deadline has passed or the storage charge seems unreasonable, contact a California landlord-tenant attorney or legal aid office.
Time limits matter here, and yours is running now. Because the deadline is calculated from the specific date on your writ rather than a fixed rule, do not rely on the general 15-day figure for your own timing — confirm the date on your paperwork and get individual review immediately if there is any doubt.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a tenant's property after a sheriff-enforced eviction lockout?
California law requires the landlord to store the tenant's remaining personal property in a place of safekeeping rather than discarding it, and to let the tenant reclaim it on payment of reasonable storage costs before the deadline specified in the writ of possession.
What happens if a tenant does not reclaim the property in time?
If the property is not claimed by the date specified in the writ, the landlord may dispose of it through the procedure set out in the Civil Code, which requires notice to any non-tenant owners of the property who can reasonably be identified.
Can a landlord charge for releasing property stored after an eviction?
Yes. California law allows a landlord to require payment of reasonable storage costs before releasing the property, though the charge must be reasonable and tied to actual storage.
