Postal Letter

Postal Service . . . Can I forward the previous resident's mail for them?

We moved in 2 months ago and our landlord (who used to live here) still has not forwarded their mail, even though we've asked them to do so. We don't know their new address, but they gave us a P.O. Box to mail our rent to, so can we put in a forwarding order for them?

Public Comments

1. You can't put in a forwarding order, but you can cross out the address in black ink & write "forward to PO BOX " & put it in the mail. It will get to them.
2. No. Just take the mail and the known address and let the post officer personal submit the change of address card.
3. What a hassle! Here's what I'd do... Hold on to EVERY piece of mail you get for them, ask your mail person for a blank Forwarding Address form to put on the top of their stack of mail, then contact your landlord by phone or postcard to new address & tell them next time rent is due they can come get it along with all their mail!
4. Copied from the US Postal Service website... "If you are receiving mail for the previous resident and do not know their address, simply return the mail piece back to the mailstream (by leaving in a Collection Box or other mail receptacle) with the notation "Not at this address" marked on the envelope..." "Destroying mail that was not intended for you may be prohibited by US laws. Willfully destroying mail is an act that may be punishable by the Federal Government. If you have any questions about the legality of doing this, please contact your local law enforcement."
5. i followed what the post office website said to do (write not at this address on the mail), but the same piece of mail kept coming back to me. i waited until i got a few pieces of mail, clipped them together with a little note and just put "the person no longer lives here, please do not deliver their mail here" i never got another piece of mail for that person again.