I have been at my current apartment for a few years and just recently my landlord has started taking in my mail and not giving it to me for days at a time, they are not home at the same times that I am and I find this extremely infuriating. I have not received my mail from them now since this past Monday (when I retrieved it from the mail box when I got home from work) now, every other day this week, there has not been any mail in the mailbox when I got home from work, and I know for certain that I have received mail as a package that I was tracking was delivered, although it has yet to be given to me. What are my rights and what can I do about this?

Thank you,
CM

Is this a shared mailbox?

Yes, it is.

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Originally Posted by ChefMom

Yes, it is.

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There is another post on this same subject, maybe six months ago. The advice was to get your own mailbox with a secure lock OR get a Post Office box (and I realize this is inconvenient) and have your mail delivered there.

Of course, you can always talk to the landlord about this but only you know if that will accomplish anything.

Okay, I realize all that, but isn't there a law that he cannot take my mail without my permission? He will not allow me to put an additional mailbox in the front of the house, he put one on the side for him to put my mail into.. and the post office is very far from my house (and being without a car makes it nearly impossible to get there regularly).

Hello Mom:

Call your local Postmaster. I'll bet HE'LL talk to this guy.

excon

I suspect you are living in an accessory apartment that is not legal. That's why the landlord doesn't want you to have a separate mailbox.

Therefore its not illegal for him to gather the mail and it might not be illegal for him to hold it for a little while.

And if its not USPS mail (like a package delivery) there are no laws covering that.

So I would go to him and say, you were tracking a package and you know it was delivered so what happened to it. If he says he just forgot to give it to you, you tell him that is an intolerable situation and it can't happen again otherwise you may have to report it.

Of course this may wind up having him refuse to renew your lease, so you have to try and be a bit diplomatic about it.