How long must a landlord hold a hoarder's personal property after an eviction?

Mandatory storage durations depend strictly on state statute: California requires 18 days written notice (Cal. Civ. Code § 1983); Washington state mandates 45 days for items over $250 (RCW 59.18.310); Florida requires 10 to 15 days (Fla. Stat. § 715.104); Pennsylvania requires 10 days notice and 30 days storage upon request (68 P.S. § 250.505a); Texas allows immediate curtilage set-out upon sheriff execution of a Writ of Possession (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.0061).

Who is legally authorized to transport biohazard and trauma scene waste?

Biohazard and trauma scene waste (blood, anatomical tissue, infectious fluids) cannot be disposed of in standard municipal solid waste. Under DOT 49 CFR Parts 172/173 and state medical waste statutes (e.g., California CDPH MWMA, Florida FAC 64E-16), waste must be packaged in certified red biohazard containers, manifested with a licensed medical waste transporter, and delivered to a licensed autoclave or high-temperature incineration facility.

What is the legal clearance limit for methamphetamine lab decontamination?

Clearance thresholds vary by jurisdiction: Colorado enforces 0.5 µg/100cm² (6 CCR 1014-3); Washington state requires ≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² by certified decontamination contractor (WAC 246-205); California mandates ≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 25400.10); states without specific statutory rules follow the EPA Voluntary Guidelines clearance recommendation of ≤ 0.1 µg/100cm².

State Biohazard Laws & Waste Regulations Directory

State-by-State Hazardous Remediation & Distressed Property Laws

Remediation liability is strictly governed by state code. We currently provide verified statutory profiles for 10 high-population jurisdictions (CA, TX, FL, NY, IL, CO, WA, OH, PA, NC), with remaining states scheduled in our active research roadmap. Locate mandatory medical waste transport manifest rules, tenant abandoned property storage deadlines for hoarder evictions, and statutory methamphetamine decontamination action levels.

California

WEST REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

18 Days (mail) / 15 Days (personal service)

Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1983, 1984 & 1988

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 117600–118360 (MWMA)

Trauma scene waste management practitioners must register with CDPH. Biological fluid-saturated materials must be transported in rigid, leak-proof containers under tracking manifests to permitted thermal treatment facilities.

Enforcing Body: California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Landlord must provide written Notice of Right to Reclaim. Personal property reasonably believed worth under $700 may be retained or trashed; property over $700 must be sold at public auction after advertised notice.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² Cal. Health & Safety Code § 25400.10 et seq.

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15630 (Mandated reporting of elder self-neglect and severe squalor)

View Full California Legal Guide →

Texas

SOUTH REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

Immediate upon Sheriff Writ Execution (0 days)

Tex. Prop. Code § 24.0061 (Writ of Possession Execution)

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

30 TAC Chapter 326 (Medical Waste Management)

Untreated biological waste transporters must hold active TCEQ registration. Dual-bagging in 1.5 mil red biohazard bags inside rigid, closed secondary containment is required for transit.

Enforcing Body: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

When the constable or sheriff executes a Writ of Possession, hoarded personal property is moved outside the rental unit curtilage. Texas law imposes no mandatory storage duration on landlords following lawful writ execution.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA standard) Tex. Health & Safety Code § 361

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 48.051 (Universal reporting duty for any individual observing vulnerable adult abuse/neglect)

View Full Texas Legal Guide →

Florida

SOUTH REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

15 Days (mail) / 10 Days (personal notice)

Fla. Stat. §§ 715.104 & 715.106

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

Fla. Admin. Code Chapter 64E-16

Requires registered biomedical waste generator permits and licensed transporters. Biohazard materials must be refrigerated below 32°F if stored on-site longer than 30 days prior to incineration or autoclaving.

Enforcing Body: Florida Department of Health (Biomedical Waste Section)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Landlord must send itemized notice of abandoned personal property. If fair market value is reasonably believed to be under $500, items may be disposed of immediately after the notice period expires.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA Voluntary Guideline) Fla. Stat. § 893.033 & local municipal health codes

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

Fla. Stat. § 415.1034 (Mandated reporting for vulnerable adult physical neglect and environmental health crises)

View Full Florida Legal Guide →

New York

NORTHEAST REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

Reasonable Period (typically 30 days)

NY Real Prop. Acts. Law § 749 & Common Law Bailment

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

6 NYCRR Part 364 & 10 NYCRR Part 70

Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) tracking system mandates certified waste tracking documents for every trauma cleanout. Waste must be treated at approved facilities within 30 days.

Enforcing Body: NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) & DOH

Tenant Personal Property Storage

New York law treats landlord as an involuntary bailee. Landlord must exercise reasonable care and cannot immediately destroy tenant possessions without providing formal written retrieval opportunity.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² NYS Environmental Conservation Law § 27-0900

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

NY Soc. Serv. Law § 473-b (Voluntary reporting with qualified immunity; mandatory for social service workers)

View Full New York Legal Guide →

Illinois

MIDWEST REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

7 to 10 Days following Eviction Order

735 ILCS 5/9-112 (Forcible Entry and Detainer)

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

35 Ill. Adm. Code 1420–1422 (PIMW)

Trauma waste is classified as Potentially Infectious Medical Waste (PIMW). Transporters must be state-permitted and display PIMW placards with manifest forms submitted to IEPA.

Enforcing Body: Illinois EPA (Potentially Infectious Medical Waste Section)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Once eviction judgment is executed, landlord typically provides 7 days written notice to retrieve possessions before declaring property legally abandoned and clearing the premises.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² 410 ILCS 620/ Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

320 ILCS 20/ Adult Protective Services Act (Mandated reporting for social services and healthcare providers)

View Full Illinois Legal Guide →

Colorado

WEST REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

Immediate upon Sheriff Eviction (0 days statutory)

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-122

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

6 CCR 1007-2 Part 1, Section 13 (Infectious Waste)

CDPHE maintains some of the nation’s strictest decontamination regulations, including rigorous certified contractor licensing for methamphetamine, mold, and biological hazard scenes.

Enforcing Body: Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Following statutory notice, sheriff executes eviction. Landlord may remove belongings to public curb without assuming bailee liability, but cannot damage possessions intentionally during extraction.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (CDPHE Reg. 6 CCR 1014-3) Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-18.5-101 et seq.

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 26-3.1-102 (Mandatory reporting for vulnerable adult exploitation and mistreatment)

View Full Colorado Legal Guide →

Washington

WEST REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

45 Days (items > $250) / 7 Days (items ≤ $250)

Wash. Rev. Code (RCW) § 59.18.310 & § 59.18.312

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

WAC 173-300 & WAC 296-823 (Bloodborne Pathogens)

Strict DOSH/WISHA workplace safety rules require written biological exposure plans. Biomedical waste must be containerized in biohazard-labeled rigid boxes and tracked via Ecology manifests.

Enforcing Body: Washington Dept. of Ecology & Labor & Industries (L&I)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Among the most tenant-protective holding laws in the US. Landlord must store hoarded goods for 45 days if total market value exceeds $250 before public auction or trash disposal can occur.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² WAC 246-205 & RCW 64.44 (Decontamination of Illegal Drug Manufacturing Sites)

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

RCW 74.34.035 (Mandatory reporting for vulnerable adult neglect, self-neglect, and environmental squalor)

View Full Washington Legal Guide →

Ohio

MIDWEST REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

Immediate Set-Out or 30-Day Storage by Local Court Rule

Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.14 (Writ of Restitution)

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

Ohio Admin. Code (OAC) 3745-27-30 through 3745-27-36

Trauma scene waste generated in Ohio must comply with Infectious Waste regulations. Transporters must obtain Ohio EPA registration certificates and use approved treatment disposal routes.

Enforcing Body: Ohio EPA (Infectious Waste Section)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Procedure varies heavily by municipal court. Franklin and Cuyahoga counties require physical set-out supervised by bailiffs, while other jurisdictions allow immediate storage with 30-day notice to tenant.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA guideline) Ohio Rev. Code § 3745.13

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

Ohio Rev. Code § 5101.63 (Mandatory reporting for elder neglect and extreme living hazard)

View Full Ohio Legal Guide →

Pennsylvania

NORTHEAST REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

10 Days (initial notice) / 30 Days (if tenant responds)

68 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 250.505a (Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951)

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

25 Pa. Code Chapter 284 (Infectious and Chemotherapeutic Waste)

Medical and trauma waste must be stored in rigid, leak-proof containers lined with 3.0 mil polyethylene biohazard bags. Manifest tracking is audited by PADEP.

Enforcing Body: Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (PADEP)

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Landlord must provide 10 days written notice to retrieve possessions. If tenant requests storage within 10 days, landlord must hold the goods for 30 full days at tenant expense before sale or disposal.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² 35 P.S. § 780-101 et seq. & DEP Guidance

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

35 P.S. § 10225.101 (Older Adult Protective Services Act)

View Full Pennsylvania Legal Guide →

North Carolina

SOUTH REGION

Hoarder Eviction / Abandoned Property Holding:

7 Days following Writ Execution

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-25.9 & § 42-36.2

Biohazard & Trauma Scene Waste

15A NCAC 13B .1200 (Medical Waste Management)

Categorizes biohazard and trauma debris under regulated medical waste rules. Packaging must withstand 45-pound drop tests before municipal or commercial transport.

Enforcing Body: NC Dept. of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) — Solid Waste Section

Tenant Personal Property Storage

Sheriff removes tenant and executes writ. Landlord may store personal belongings in the unit or a commercial warehouse; if unclaimed after 7 days, property may be sold or destroyed.

Clandestine Lab Clearance Standard

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² 10A NCAC 41D .0101 (Decontamination Standards for Properties Used as Clandestine Drug Labs)

Adult Protective Services (APS) Mandate

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 108A-102 (Universal duty to report vulnerable adult neglect to county DSS)

View Full North Carolina Legal Guide →

Jurisdiction	Region	Biohazard Agency	Abandoned Property Holding	Meth Decon Standard	Key Legal Citation
California (CA)	west	California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH)	18 Days (mail) / 15 Days (personal service)	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²`	Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1983, 1984 & 1988
Texas (TX)	south	Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)	Immediate upon Sheriff Writ Execution (0 days)	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA standard)`	Tex. Prop. Code § 24.0061 (Writ of Possession Execution)
Florida (FL)	south	Florida Department of Health (Biomedical Waste Section)	15 Days (mail) / 10 Days (personal notice)	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA Voluntary Guideline)`	Fla. Stat. §§ 715.104 & 715.106
New York (NY)	northeast	NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) & DOH	Reasonable Period (typically 30 days)	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²`	NY Real Prop. Acts. Law § 749 & Common Law Bailment
Illinois (IL)	midwest	Illinois EPA (Potentially Infectious Medical Waste Section)	7 to 10 Days following Eviction Order	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²`	735 ILCS 5/9-112 (Forcible Entry and Detainer)
Colorado (CO)	west	Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)	Immediate upon Sheriff Eviction (0 days statutory)	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (CDPHE Reg. 6 CCR 1014-3)`	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-122
Washington (WA)	west	Washington Dept. of Ecology & Labor & Industries (L&I)	45 Days (items > $250) / 7 Days (items ≤ $250)	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²`	Wash. Rev. Code (RCW) § 59.18.310 & § 59.18.312
Ohio (OH)	midwest	Ohio EPA (Infectious Waste Section)	Immediate Set-Out or 30-Day Storage by Local Court Rule	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA guideline)`	Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.14 (Writ of Restitution)
Pennsylvania (PA)	northeast	Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (PADEP)	10 Days (initial notice) / 30 Days (if tenant responds)	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²`	68 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 250.505a (Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951)
North Carolina (NC)	south	NC Dept. of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) — Solid Waste Section	7 Days following Writ Execution	`≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²`	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-25.9 & § 42-36.2

Jurisdiction

Region

Biohazard Agency

Abandoned Property Holding

Meth Decon Standard

Key Legal Citation

California (CA)

west

California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH)

18 Days (mail) / 15 Days (personal service)

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²

Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1983, 1984 & 1988

Texas (TX)

south

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

Immediate upon Sheriff Writ Execution (0 days)

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA standard)

Tex. Prop. Code § 24.0061 (Writ of Possession Execution)

Florida (FL)

south

Florida Department of Health (Biomedical Waste Section)

15 Days (mail) / 10 Days (personal notice)

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA Voluntary Guideline)

Fla. Stat. §§ 715.104 & 715.106

New York (NY)

northeast

NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) & DOH

Reasonable Period (typically 30 days)

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²

NY Real Prop. Acts. Law § 749 & Common Law Bailment

Illinois (IL)

midwest

Illinois EPA (Potentially Infectious Medical Waste Section)

7 to 10 Days following Eviction Order

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²

735 ILCS 5/9-112 (Forcible Entry and Detainer)

Colorado (CO)

west

Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)

Immediate upon Sheriff Eviction (0 days statutory)

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (CDPHE Reg. 6 CCR 1014-3)

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-122

Washington (WA)

west

Washington Dept. of Ecology & Labor & Industries (L&I)

45 Days (items > $250) / 7 Days (items ≤ $250)

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²

Wash. Rev. Code (RCW) § 59.18.310 & § 59.18.312

Ohio (OH)

midwest

Ohio EPA (Infectious Waste Section)

Immediate Set-Out or 30-Day Storage by Local Court Rule

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm² (EPA guideline)

Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.14 (Writ of Restitution)

Pennsylvania (PA)

northeast

Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (PADEP)

10 Days (initial notice) / 30 Days (if tenant responds)

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²

68 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 250.505a (Landlord-Tenant Act of 1951)

North Carolina (NC)

south

NC Dept. of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) — Solid Waste Section

7 Days following Writ Execution

≤ 0.1 µg/100cm²

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-25.9 & § 42-36.2

State-by-State Hazardous Remediation & Distressed Property Laws

California

Texas

Florida

New York

Illinois

Colorado

Washington

Ohio

Pennsylvania

North Carolina

National Statutory Holding & Clearance Comparison