Hotel lost property log template
By the Homebound team • Published October 2026 • 5 min read
A lost property log is one list of everything your team finds, where each item is now and what happened to it. This template has the 16 columns most hotels end up needing.
Download the CSV to use it in Excel or Google Sheets, or print the A4 sheet and keep it on a clipboard at reception. It's free to copy, change and share, and there's nothing to sign up for.
Download
The CSV has the header row only. The PDF is one A4 landscape sheet with 16 rows. Print as many as you need.
What goes in a lost property log
Each column answers a question someone will ask later, usually a guest on the phone or a manager deciding whether an item can be donated.
- 01Ref no.
- Write the same number on the item's tag. Anyone on any shift can then find the item on the shelf from the log.
- 02Date and time found
- Guests remember the day they checked out. The date lets you check a claim against the booking.
- 03Found by
- So you can go back to the person who picked it up and ask exactly where it was.
- 04Location found (room or area)
- A room number, or an area such as the pool deck or restaurant. Most guest enquiries start with the room.
- 05Item description
- What it is in plain words: black phone, kids' jacket, reading glasses.
- 06Category
- Clothing, electronics, documents, jewellery, keys. When a guest rings about a laptop you only scan one category.
- 07Colour, brand and identifying marks
- Engravings, phone cases, stickers, a name tag. Ask the guest to describe these before you confirm the item is theirs.
- 08Photo taken (Y/N)
- A photo settles most "is this mine?" calls. Take it before the item is moved.
- 09Stored at (shelf, bin or safe)
- Cash, jewellery, passports and electronics go in the safe. Everything else gets a numbered shelf or bin.
- 10Estimated value ($)
- A rough figure is enough. How long you hold an item and how you can dispose of it depend on its value, and each state sets its own value bands.
- 11Guest name and room (if known)
- From the booking for that room and date. Leave it blank for items found in public areas.
- 12Guest contacted (date and how)
- Email, phone or letter, with the date. In most states the holding period runs from when you give notice, so this date matters later.
- 13Claimed by and ID checked
- Who collected it or asked for it to be posted, and what ID or booking details you checked. If a friend collects for the guest, note their name too.
- 14Outcome and date (returned, shipped or disposed)
- Returned in person, shipped or disposed of, and the date it happened.
- 15Tracking no. or disposal note
- The tracking number for a parcel. For disposal, how it went (donated, destroyed, handed to police) and when.
- 16Team member sign-off
- Initials of the person who closed the entry.
What the register looks like
Three example entries: one posted to the guest, one collected at the desk and one donated after the holding period.
| Ref no. | Date and time found | Found by | Location found (room or area) | Item description | Category | Colour, brand and identifying marks | Photo taken (Y/N) | Stored at (shelf, bin or safe) | Estimated value ($) | Guest name and room (if known) | Guest contacted (date and how) | Claimed by and ID checked | Outcome and date (returned, shipped or disposed) | Tracking no. or disposal note | Team member sign-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LP-0412 | 14/10/2026 09:40 | Mai (housekeeping) | Room 314 | Phone charger and cable | Electronics | White USB-C plug, green tape on the cable | Y | Bin 10-B | 30 | S. Walker, 314 | 14/10 by email | S. Walker, booking ref and email matched | Shipped 17/10 | Tracking no. on courier label | RT |
| LP-0413 | 15/10/2026 13:15 | Dan (restaurant) | Restaurant, table 6 | Prescription glasses | Accessories | Tortoiseshell frames, blue hard case | Y | Shelf 2 | 400 | Walk-in, described the case, driver licence seen | Returned 16/10 | KL | |||
| LP-0398 | 02/09/2026 11:05 | Priya (housekeeping) | Pool deck | Kids' hoodie | Clothing | Navy, size 8, name label cut out | Y | Bin 09-A | 20 | Disposed 09/10 | Donated to op shop after holding period | RT |
Using it day to day
- Log the item when it reaches the desk, before the shift ends. Give it the next ref no. and write the same number on a tag.
- Photograph it, then put it where the stored-at column says. Cash, jewellery, passports and electronics go in the safe.
- If it came from a guest room, look up who stayed there in your booking system and contact them. Write down the date and how you got in touch.
- When someone claims an item, ask them to describe it before you bring it out. Record who they are and what ID or booking details you checked.
- Once a month, go through the entries that are still open. Anything past your state's holding period can be disposed of. Note how and when.
Keep one log for the whole property. When housekeeping has a notebook and front desk has a spreadsheet, a guest who rings about a phone gets two different answers.
How long you keep items depends on your state
Each state and territory has its own uncollected goods law, and most set the holding period by the item's value. In New South Wales, an item worth under $1,000 can be disposed of 14 days after you give the owner notice. Items worth $1,000 to $20,000 need written notice and 28 days, and anything over $20,000 needs an NCAT order. Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory draw their first line at $200.
Because the bands differ, the template asks for an estimated value in dollars. Check it against the rules for your state, and see the national overview for how the states compare.
Frequently asked questions
What should a hotel lost property form include?+
At a minimum: a reference number, when and where the item was found, who found it, a description with identifying marks, where it is stored and what happened to it in the end. Add the guest's details, the ID checked at hand-over and a team member's initials so every entry can be traced.
Can I use Excel or Google Sheets as a lost property register?+
Yes. Download the CSV and open it in either. Freeze the header row, add filters on Category and Outcome and keep one shared copy so every shift writes to the same file. Photos have to live somewhere else, so record where each one is saved.
How long does a hotel have to keep lost property in Australia?+
It depends on the state or territory and on the item's value. Holding periods range from 7 days for items of no value in the ACT to 6 months in Queensland and Western Australia, and high-value items can need a court or tribunal order before disposal. Check the guide for your state before you dispose of anything.
The digital version
Every item. One log.
Homebound is this log on your team's phones, and it's free for hotels. When a guest reports something lost, AI suggests likely matches with a reason for each and your team confirms the right one. The guest enters their own address and pays the postage online, then a courier collects the parcel from reception.