Rubbish, skip bins and the things left behind in a rented home
When a renter moves out and leaves things behind, not all of it can go straight into a skip. In each state and territory covered here, the landlord, agent or property manager has a process to follow first, and what it involves depends on what the goods are and what they are worth.
General information, not legal advice. Each guide names the official page for its state, and every source is listed at the foot of the page it is used on.
Six rooms to clear
- 1Goods left behind in NSW
Five kinds of goods, from rubbish that can go at once to goods over $20,000 that need the Tribunal.
- 2Goods left behind in Victoria
At least 14 days for goods that could be sold, and at least 90 days for personal documents.
- 3Goods left behind in Queensland
If the tenant can’t be contacted, the personal documents must go to the Public Trustee within 7 days of the tenancy ending.
- 4WA, SA, Tasmania and the ACT
Western Australia’s 60 days, South Australia’s 7, Tasmania’s table of values and the ACT’s Renting Book.
- 5When a renter dies
Who becomes responsible for a renter’s belongings, in Victoria and Queensland.
- 6Charity bins are not a tip
What the NSW EPA asks of anyone donating, and what to do when the bin is full.
What may go without waiting
Each state’s page names some things a landlord may get rid of straight away, or sends the landlord to a set procedure. Read the row for your state with its guide: the rest of what was left has its own steps.
| Where | What the page says may go |
|---|---|
| NSW | Rubbish and perishables, with no notice, “via any appropriate manner”. |
| Victoria | Perishable food, dangerous goods, and goods not worth any money, except personal documents and the goods that must be stored for at least 14 days. |
| Queensland, general tenancies | Goods with a total value under $2,500, if they would be unhealthy or unsafe to store, lose value if stored, or cost more to remove, store or sell than they are worth. These thresholds apply to agreements entered into from 1 September 2025. |
| Western Australia | Items that are rubbish, such as food, newspapers, boxes and bags, toiletries and medicines, and cleaning products, paint and chemicals. |
| South Australia | Perishable items such as food, once the landlord is sure the home has been abandoned. Everything else stays at the property for at least two more days. |
| Tasmania | Goods of no value may be donated or thrown out, and the property owner signs a statutory declaration describing what was done. |
| ACT | The Renting Book says a landlord must follow procedures under the Uncollected Goods Act 1996 to dispose of or sell goods left behind. |
The Northern Territory is not covered on this site.
Whose job it is
The process belongs to the landlord’s side. NSW Fair Trading says landlords and agents must follow it; Victoria gives the storing to the rental provider; Queensland’s Residential Tenancies Authority says the property manager or owner must make reasonable efforts to contact the tenant.
The renter has a part too. In the ACT, the Renting Book tells tenants they are responsible for removing all their goods when they move out, and that they may be charged for storing and disposing of anything left. In Victoria, a renter who leaves goods behind should contact the rental provider as soon as possible to arrange collection. In NSW, a former tenant can reclaim the goods at any time while the landlord still has them.
In Victoria and Queensland, when a renter has died, their legal representative or next of kin becomes responsible for their belongings. Room 5 covers Victoria and Queensland.
Not everything is rubbish
Queensland’s RTA puts it in one line: “An item that may appear to be junk can actually be valuable.” It suggests keeping a record of what was left, such as an itemised list and photos, in case of a later dispute. South Australia’s page has the landlord get a second-hand dealer’s quote on what the items would resell for.
Giving things away has its own rule. In NSW, the EPA says rubbish and damaged things go in the garbage, not in a charity bin. Room 6 is about donating well.
Clearing a home means deciding what is kept, what is given away and what is thrown out. A skip hire or rubbish removal business can talk through the clearing itself.