The information on this page applies to SDA residency agreements. If you signed a Residential tenancy agreement, view Goods left behind by renters.
If you left something behind when you moved out, speak to your provider to organise a day and time to get it back. Your support person can also help you get your things from the property.
How do I know if I have left things in the property?
If you left any goods behind, your provider will give you a Notice of goods left behind (SDA) (Word, 664KB).
If you left personal documents behind, your provider will give you a Notice of personal documents left behind (SDA) (Word, 660KB).
They might also show you Easy English versions of the notices to explain what is in them.
Easy English versions
What are personal documents?
Personal documents include:
- official documents – such as your passport, driver licence or other ID
- photographs
- images on still and video cameras
- files on computer hard drives
- any other document a person would keep.
How long should my provider keep my things?
If you have an SDA residency agreement, your provider must look after your things for 14 days from when you got the notice.
If you signed a Residential tenancy agreement, your provider must look after your things for 28 days.
Your provider does not have to keep:
- food that can go off
- dangerous goods.
Can my provider sell my things or throw them out?
If you do not get your things by the date on the notice, your provider can sell your things or get rid of them.
Example only
If the notice says you must get your things by 10 December and you do not pick them up, your provider can sell your things on 11 December.
If your provider sells your things, you can get some money from the sale. You have six months from the date of the sale to ask for this payment.
If your things are damaged, sold or thrown out in a way that is against the law, you can apply to VCAT for compensation. You can also apply for compensation if your provider will not give your things back to you. Visit VCAT.