Post for previous home owner

[Roofio890]

I bought and moved into my new property just over a month ago. Post has been coming for the previous owner and I have been sending it back return to sender not known at address.

Now I’m being contacted by the estate agents who handled the purchase and sale asking me to keep the previous occupants post to one side so they can collect it. I’ve explained they need to redirect their mail and I’m rightly returning to sender but now they’re pestering me and appealing to my “good nature” to keep hold of the post and not return it.

From what I can see online I’m doing the correct legal action but this estate agent is pestering me to keep hold of it.

What is the right legal stance here, am I legally doing the right thing and is there any legality I can reference?

Thanks for reading.

[PallasAthena]

You are not legally obliged to offer a mail storage service to the previous owner and what you are doing is legally correct. The estate agents know this which is why they are appealing to your "good nature". If you had any obligation be keep the post you can be sure they would have been quick to tell you so.

I would be inclined to give the previous owner the benefit of the doubt and assume they just forgot about Royal Mail Redirection. Royal Mail need a week's notice to set up a Redirection. So tell estate agent you will hold on to any mail that arrives between now and (say) 15th September to give the previous owner time set up a Royal Mail Redirection but after that any post arriving you will return to sender.

[Roofio890]

Thank you for your prompt response. I’ll take that course of action.