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Tenant Abandoned Property Laws in North Dakota

In North Dakota, a landlord may keep or dispose of left-behind property worth $2,500 or less without legal process 28 days after the tenant has vacated.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

North Dakota at a glance

Written notice required
No notice step in the statute
The section sets no notice step for property worth $2,500 or less; the 28 days run from when the landlord learns, or it reasonably appears, that the tenant has left.
Holding period
28 days
Counted from actual notice that the tenant vacated, or from when it reasonably appears the tenant vacated.
After the holding period
Keep or dispose of it; landlord keeps sale proceeds
Applies to property with a total estimated value of $2,500 or less. Storage and moving costs above the sale proceeds may be taken from the security deposit.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in North Dakota

Does a landlord in North Dakota have to notify the tenant before disposing of left-behind property?

No notice step in the statute. Written notice required in North Dakota: no notice step in the statute. The section sets no notice step for property worth $2,500 or less; the 28 days run from when the landlord learns, or it reasonably appears, that the tenant has left.

How long must a landlord in North Dakota keep a tenant's abandoned property?

Holding period in North Dakota: 28 days. Counted from actual notice that the tenant vacated, or from when it reasonably appears the tenant vacated.

What can a landlord in North Dakota do with abandoned property after the waiting period?

After the holding period in North Dakota: Keep or dispose of it; landlord keeps sale proceeds. Applies to property with a total estimated value of $2,500 or less. Storage and moving costs above the sale proceeds may be taken from the security deposit.

Where do the North Dakota tenant abandoned property laws come from?

The rules above come from N.D. Cent. Code 47-16-30.1. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

After an eviction judgment and special execution, a landlord who removes the property has a lien for reasonable storage and moving costs and may hold the property until they are paid.

What this means in practice

Before treating anything as abandoned, confirm that the tenancy has actually ended. Some statutes define when a unit counts as abandoned, and removing property while a tenant still has a right to possession can expose a landlord to claims for wrongful eviction or conversion.

Keep a written record. Photos or a video of the items, a dated inventory, a copy of any notice sent and proof of how it was delivered make it much easier to show that the required steps were followed if the former tenant later asks for the property or its value.

Store items safely and in a reasonable way during any holding period. Where a statute allows the landlord to charge reasonable moving and storage costs, or to keep sale proceeds to cover those costs, the rules on what may be charged and what happens to any surplus vary, so check the exact text for your state.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.