Rental Property Investor · The Vampire State · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
6y
Here's an excerpt from a strategy I got from a blog called "The Dark Park" that I have used successfully in the past:
...After digging through their website, I came across the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual. In Section 507, I found Exhibit 1.5.1 which is titled, “Treatment of Undeliverable First-Class Mail, First-Class Package Service and Priority Mail”. There are a number of options, but if you look at “Return Service Requested”, you will see that you can find out the new address without the addressee ever finding out.
All you have to do is mail an envelope to the person’s old address with “Return Service Requested” TYPED 1/2 an inch above the delivery address...After two weeks, I got the original letter back with the person’s new address printed on a yellow label. They have to have a forwarding address, or you will just get the letter back without any information.
That’s all there was to it. They guy has no idea I did this little bit of detective work and he will probably be shocked when he sees a letter from my attorney arrive in his mailbox. It didn’t even cost me anything.
Rental Property Investor · Lexington, KY · Member since 2018 · 52 posts · 55 votes
6y
Hi Billy, Is this a tenant of yours who moved out and you need their new address for the purpose of returning a deposit? Would you mind elaborating on the context?
Real Estate Broker · Greenville, SC · Member since 2013 · 269 posts · 141 votes
6y
There's a great company called Forewarn you should check out (www.forewarn.com). You can type in the tenant's name and phone number, and it will pull any addresses associated with them. I've successfully used it to track down a tenant's new address when they refused to provide me with a forwarding address. In addition to addresses it will pull automobiles, criminal records, etc.
Rental Property Investor · The Vampire State · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
6y
Here's an excerpt from a strategy I got from a blog called "The Dark Park" that I have used successfully in the past:
...After digging through their website, I came across the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual. In Section 507, I found Exhibit 1.5.1 which is titled, “Treatment of Undeliverable First-Class Mail, First-Class Package Service and Priority Mail”. There are a number of options, but if you look at “Return Service Requested”, you will see that you can find out the new address without the addressee ever finding out.
All you have to do is mail an envelope to the person’s old address with “Return Service Requested” TYPED 1/2 an inch above the delivery address...After two weeks, I got the original letter back with the person’s new address printed on a yellow label. They have to have a forwarding address, or you will just get the letter back without any information.
That’s all there was to it. They guy has no idea I did this little bit of detective work and he will probably be shocked when he sees a letter from my attorney arrive in his mailbox. It didn’t even cost me anything.
Real Estate Broker · Northeast PA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
6y
You can send a FOIA request to the Postmaster where the rental is located (vacated). If the people left a mail forwarding address, the Postmaster must supply you with it. Good luck.
Other than that, try a skip-tracing company, or do what @Wesley W. suggests.