Tasmanian hotel lost property law: Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act 2020
Published October 2026 • 4 min read • Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act 2020 (Tas)
How long must a hotel keep lost property in Tasmania?
Under the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act 2020 (Tas), the hotel waits 28 days after notice to the guest. If it can't locate the guest after reasonable attempts, it waits 60 days for goods under $200, 90 days for goods from $200 to under $5,000 and 180 days for goods worth $5,000 or more. The Director of Consumer Affairs can set different dollar amounts.
The 2020 Act replaced the 1968 Act
The Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act 2020 replaced the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act 1968. The older Act's rules no longer apply, so any guide still citing 1968 is out of date.
Value tiers
The Act sorts goods into three tiers (section 3):
- Low value: under $200, or under $1,000 for a motor vehicle.
- Medium value: $200 to under $5,000, or $1,000 to under $5,000 for a motor vehicle.
- High value: $5,000 or more.
- The Director of Consumer Affairs can set different amounts.
Notice and waiting periods
If the provider can be located, the notice is followed by a 28-day wait in every tier (sections 10 to 12). If it can't be located after reasonable attempts, the wait runs from when the goods became uncollected: 60 days for low value, 90 days for medium value and 180 days for high value.
How the goods can be disposed of depends on the tier:
- Low value: by sale, destruction, appropriation or any other means (section 10).
- Medium value: by public auction or private sale, taking reasonable care to get the best price reasonably available (section 11).
- High value: by public auction advertised at least 7 days ahead, or by private sale only in limited circumstances. Anyone with a publicly registered interest in the goods must also be notified (section 12).
Records
A disposal record must be prepared within 7 days. For most goods it is kept for 6 years. For low-value goods it is kept for 2 years, or for a shorter period if the Director sets one (section 22).
How Homebound handles this for TAS properties
Homebound gives every logged item a timestamped history — intake photo, guest notification, courier collection — so a TAS property always has the record this guide describes. Guests enter their own shipping address and pay for courier return themselves, and it costs the hotel nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a Tasmanian hotel wait before disposing of lost property?+
It depends on the value and on whether the guest can be found. If the guest is located, the wait is 28 days after notice. If not, it's 60 days for low-value goods under $200, 90 days for medium-value goods from $200 to under $5,000 and 180 days for high-value goods of $5,000 or more.
Does Tasmania require police notice for high-value items?+
Not under the 2020 Act's disposal provisions. High-value goods do need notice to anyone with a publicly registered interest in them. Handing items to Tasmania Police is a separate decision, not a statutory step.
Is a paper logbook enough to satisfy the Act's record-keeping expectations?+
It can technically work, but a paper logbook is hard to produce as reliable evidence if a guest disputes what happened — a timestamped digital record of intake, notice and disposal holds up far better if it's ever needed.
Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal advice. It summarises the Tasmania uncollected goods legislation and is sourced from the relevant consumer affairs publications and the legislation itself. It is correct at the time of writing (October 2026). Laws and guidance change, so check the current Act on the official legislation site before you act on anything here.
Nothing in this guide is advice for your property. Before you dispose of, sell or hand over any guest's belongings, speak to a lawyer or your state consumer affairs office.
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