How Long Do I Have to Keep My Ex's Belongings in Ohio Before I Can Get Rid of Them?

Attorney Answer

Ohio does not set a fixed number of days for holding onto belongings an ex left behind in your home. Between two private individuals, the rule is closer to reasonable time plus reasonable effort, and you are already building the record that matters.

When someone leaves personal property in your home without any agreement about how long you will store it, you become what the law calls an involuntary bailee. That means you have to take reasonable care of the items and cannot intentionally destroy or steal them, but you are not required to store them indefinitely, especially once you have made real, documented efforts to return them and she has not responded or followed through.

Because no Ohio statute sets a specific deadline for this situation between former partners, what protects you is being able to show you acted reasonably and gave fair notice before disposing of anything.

What you can do

1. Send one final, clear written notice, by text and by an email or letter you can prove was sent, listing what she left and giving a specific deadline, for example 14 or 30 days, to arrange pickup. 2. State clearly in that notice what will happen if she misses the deadline, such as donating, discarding, or otherwise disposing of the items. 3. Take dated photos of everything before you do anything with it, in case there is ever a dispute about what was left or its condition. 4. Offer a couple of reasonable pickup windows, including one that does not require you both to be there at the same time if that is a concern. 5. Avoid selling or destroying anything clearly valuable without extra caution, since that is the kind of item most likely to trigger a dispute later.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. If she has items of real value or this turns contentious, a local Ohio attorney can advise you on your specific situation before you dispose of anything.