A car was left on your rental property: can you tow it, and when?

First question: whose car is it?

Before you think about towing, answer one question. Is the car a tenant's, a former tenant's, a guest's or a stranger's? The answer changes your legal footing.

• A current tenant's car that breaks a parking rule in the lease: follow the lease, give the notice it promises and see parking rules, leases and towing.
• A former tenant's car after they moved out: you may be dealing with abandoned property, not a parking violation. See what to do when a tenant abandons the apartment.
• A guest's car that stays for weeks: ask the tenant who it belongs to and whether the guest is really living there (unauthorized occupant).
• A car nobody connects to your property: treat it as a stranger's vehicle on private land.

Write down the plate, the make, the color, the date you first saw it and where it sits. Take dated photos. Those notes decide almost every dispute that follows.

What makes a vehicle legally abandoned?

Abandonment is mostly about intent. Cornell's legal encyclopedia describes it as the voluntary and intentional discarding of a recognized property right, and says the owner's intent is what separates abandoned property from property that is lost or stolen. A car that is merely parked somewhere you dislike is not abandoned.

States turn that idea into a checklist. Texas is a clear example. Transportation Code 683.002 says a vehicle is abandoned if, among other conditions, it stays on private property without the consent of the owner or person in charge for more than 48 hours. A second Texas condition covers an inoperable vehicle more than five years old left on public property for more than 48 hours. The statute lists six conditions in all.

Your state will have its own wording and its own clock. Some states use a number of days, some say a vehicle must also be inoperable, and some leave the first step to the police or a local code officer. Look up your state's abandoned vehicle statute and your city's rules.

A sensible order of steps

1. Confirm the car is not a tenant's, a vendor's or a guest's by asking every tenant in writing.
2. Check for a sticker, permit or registration that points to an owner. Look up the plate through the police non-emergency line if your state allows it.
3. Post a visible notice on the vehicle with the date and the date you will have it removed. Photograph it.
4. Call the police or your local code office. Many places want a report number before a private tow, and it gives you a record.
5. Use a licensed tow company that follows your state's private property towing rules. Ask what signage and written authorization they need from you.
6. Keep the tow ticket and the notice with the property's records.

If the car belonged to a former tenant, send the notice you owe for abandoned belongings first. Many states treat a vehicle as personal property under the same process, with its own extra steps for titled vehicles and liens.

Mistakes that turn a tow into a lawsuit

• Towing a current tenant's car without the notice the lease or state law requires.
• Towing in a hurry because the car blocks a driveway, then discovering it belonged to a guest the tenant had cleared.
• Keeping or selling the car yourself. A titled car usually has a lienholder, and you may owe the owner a chance to claim it.
• Charging a former tenant a storage fee your lease never mentioned.

Example a made-up landlord sees a sedan in the back lot for ten days. Nobody claims it, and it has flat tires. The landlord posts a notice, photographs it, files a police report and has a licensed company tow it on day 15. The tow ticket says 180. The landlord keeps the photos, the report number and the ticket. If the car turns out to be a former tenant's, the 180 is a cost the landlord may or may not recover, depending on the lease and state law.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state and city, so check your state's statute or ask a local attorney before you act.

How DoorKeeping handles it

DoorKeeping keeps the paper trail in one place. You can ask Claude or ChatGPT to find a unit's lease and parking clause, draft the notice for you to send by email to the tenant, and store the photos and tow ticket in the property's documents. Anything that is a legal step waits for your one-tap approval. DoorKeeping gives no legal advice, so the state's rules stay with you and your local attorney.

Sources

1. Texas Transportation Code 683.002: Abandoned motor vehicle defined (Texas Public Law), read Oct 31, 2026
2. Abandonment (Cornell Legal Information Institute), read Oct 31, 2026

Questions

Can I tow a car from my rental property right away?

Not always. A current tenant's car usually needs the notice your lease and state law promise, and a stranger's car often needs a posted notice or a police report first. Check your state and city rules before you call a tow company.

How long before a car counts as abandoned?

It depends on the state. Texas, for one, uses 48 hours for a vehicle on private property without the owner's consent. Other states use different periods or add conditions, so read your state's statute.

Can I sell a car a former tenant left behind?

Be careful. A titled car often has a lienholder or owner who must be notified, and many states route vehicles through a specific process. Ask your state's motor vehicle agency or a local attorney before selling anything.