What should you do with items guests leave behind in their room?
·Wootera
The room attendant logs a left-behind item straight away, puts it in a labelled bag and hands it to the front desk before the end of the shift. The front desk records it in the lost property log under a reference number, stores it (valuables separately under lock and key) and contacts the guest within 24 hours. Anything nobody collects is disposed of or donated after a period set in advance, following a rule that applies to everyone equally.
How long to keep items and what you may ultimately do with them depends on the type of item and on the rules for found property that apply where you are. It also depends on how many people rotate on the front desk and how much space you have. The process below works even in a guesthouse where one person runs the front desk.
Industry guidance from RoomMaster describes handing over found items immediately, logging them with a number, storing valuables separately, contacting the guest within 24 hours, setting storage periods by type of item and disposing of items in line with local regulations. A small property does not need a complicated system for this. It is enough to adopt the basic framework and follow it on every shift.
Log the item immediately and hand it to the front desk before the shift ends
The room attendant does not leave anything in the room, in a pocket or on the trolley until the end of the shift. The longer an item travels without a record, the easier it is to lose. And the harder it becomes to prove who did what with it.
What they do as soon as they find something:
- put the item in a clear bag,
- write the room number, where it was found, the date, the time and their name on a slip,
- if you have agreed on this, photograph the item where it was lying,
- hand the bag to the front desk and have the handover confirmed.
Keep a supply of bags and slips on the trolley. If the room attendant has to go looking for a bag, the item easily ends up in an apron pocket and is then forgotten.
Also agree on what counts as a left-behind item and what counts as rubbish. The room attendant throws away empty bottles, newspapers or used tissues. If they are unsure, they take the item to the front desk. Better one unnecessary bag than one dispute with a guest.
Keep a single lost property log and give each item a reference number
The lost property log can be a notebook at the front desk or a simple spreadsheet. What matters is that there is only one and that everyone records items in the same way.
What each entry should include:
- A reference number, which you also write on the bag.
- The date and time the item was found.
- The room number or the place where the item was lying.
- A brief description of the item.
- Who found the item and who received it.
- The guest’s name as per the booking.
- Where the item is stored.
- When and how you contacted the guest.
- What happened to the item: returned, posted, donated, disposed of. With the date and a signature.
Keep descriptions factual and do not estimate value. Not “expensive watch”, but “watch, metal strap, silver colour”. An estimate of value can easily turn into a dispute later.
Every movement of an item belongs in the log. When an item leaves its storage place, it must be clear when, with whom and why.
Store valuables separately, under lock and key, and with two people present
Ordinary items can be kept in a closed box or cupboard behind the front desk. Valuables belong in a locked box or safe to which only a few people have a key.
For valuables, the two-person rule applies. Two people count cash, record the amount and both sign. The same goes for jewellery and documents. This mainly protects your staff.
Do not switch on phones, laptops or tablets and do not look through them. Only charge them if necessary, so the guest gets them back in working order.
| Type of item | Where to store it | How to handle it |
|---|---|---|
| ID documents, payment cards, cash | Locked box, logged by two people | Contact the guest the same day; find out who, if anyone, they should be handed to where you are |
| Jewellery, watches, electronics | Locked box | Longer storage period according to local rules |
| Medication | Separately, out of guests’ reach | Contact immediately, the guest may urgently need it; dispose of safely, not in the bin |
| Clothing, books, toys, chargers | Box or cupboard with bag numbers | Shorter storage period |
| Food, drinks, opened toiletries | Do not store | Throw away on the day found and log it |
The industry guidance mentioned above provides for different storage periods depending on the type of item. Set the specific periods yourself. For valuables and documents, check what rules apply to found property where you are.
Contact the guest within 24 hours, but discreetly
The industry guidance mentioned above also recommends contact within 24 hours. For ID documents, medication and keys, do not wait at all and get in touch the same day, by phone if need be.
Contact only the person who booked the room, using the contact details from the booking. Someone else may read the message too, such as a colleague or partner. For personal items, therefore, do not describe anything in detail in the message.
Example message:
Hello, after your departure we found a personal item in your room. If you are missing something, please describe it to us and we will arrange how to get it back to you.
The guest describes the item themselves, which also confirms it is theirs. For everyday items such as a charger or an umbrella, you can name the item directly.
If the guest does not reply, send one reminder. Then keep the item until the end of the set period and do not push for further contact. Record both in the log.
Release the item only after verification and with a signature
Depending on what you agree with the guest, there are three options.
The guest collects the item in person
Ask them to describe the item before you show it. Verify their name against the booking. Add the release date to the log and have the guest sign.
Someone else collects the item
Only with the guest’s written consent, for example an email stating who will come. Verify the identity of the person who arrives and keep the consent with the log entry.
You post the item
- Have the address confirmed in writing.
- Agree in advance who pays the postage. The simplest approach is a clear rule you tell everyone the same way.
- Send the parcel with tracking.
- Photograph the contents before sealing the parcel and record the tracking number in the log.
- For valuables and documents, agree with the guest on the delivery method and insurance for the parcel.
Do not send anything until you have a confirmed address and an agreement on postage. A lost parcel with no record is worse than an item that waits another week in the box.
Handle unclaimed items according to a rule set in advance
Once a month, go through the lost property log and clear out items whose storage period has expired. Do this with two people and record what happened to each item.
Options by type of item:
- donate clothing, books and toys to a charity or collection,
- take electronics and chargers for recycling,
- dispose of ID documents and storage media securely or hand them over to wherever local rules require,
- deal with valuables according to the rules for found property where you are.
Find out whether you must hand unclaimed valuables over to someone after a certain time and how long you must keep them before that. If you are unsure, consult a local expert.
Think carefully before giving unclaimed items to staff. Someone who knows they can keep an item after a while may be less keen to track down the guest. If you still want to do this, have a firm rule and always keep a record.
When a guest says something has gone missing, rely on your records
The lost property log is above all a protection for your staff. When every found item and every movement of it has a signed record, a dispute quickly becomes about facts, not impressions.
How to proceed:
- Listen to the guest calmly and record what they are missing and since when.
- Check the lost property log.
- Go through the room again, even if it has been cleaned. Under the bed, behind the curtain, in the safe, among the bed linen in the laundry.
- Ask the room attendant who cleaned the room.
- Tell the guest what you have done and when you will get back to them.
Do not accuse anyone and do not promise anything on the spot, including compensation. If the guest mentions theft, offer to cooperate with them in line with local rules. Check with an expert in advance what the hotel is liable for in such a situation.
Related solution: Guest-choice housekeeping with a QR code in the room
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How can you stop guests from leaving things behind in the first place?
A short question at the front desk on departure helps, such as whether anything was left in the safe or a charger in the socket. It also helps if the room attendant checks the room soon after departure. The guest is then usually still nearby and can take the item straight away.
What about an item found outside a room, for example in the restaurant or car park?
It goes in the same lost property log, only instead of a room number you record where it was found. You often won’t be able to trace the owner, so keep the item for the full set period. If someone comes forward, ask them to describe the item first.
What if a guest gets in touch only after the item has been disposed of?
Tell them honestly when and how the item was dealt with, and refer to the entry in the log. With a clear record, it is a matter of explanation, not suspicion. That is why it is important to record what you donated or threw away as well.
Does this process need to be written down?
One page that both the front desk and the room attendants have is enough. It saves explaining, especially at shift changes and with new staff. You can also keep a shorter version with the steps to take when finding an item on the trolley.