Royal Mail has issued guidance for anyone who receives letters or parcels addressed to someone who does not live at their address. The advice is to write four simple words on the envelope before putting it back into a postbox.
What to write and do
According to Royal Mail, residents should write "No longer lives here" on the front of the item and then place it into a Royal Mail postbox. This allows the item to be returned to the sender, who can update their records accordingly.
The guidance applies to post that has been delivered to the correct property but is addressed to a previous resident. If the post has been delivered to the wrong address altogether, it should also be returned via a postbox so Royal Mail can deal with it appropriately.
Legal considerations
People are advised not to open letters addressed to someone else. Under the Postal Services Act 2000, intentionally opening a postal packet without reasonable excuse and with an intention to act to a person's detriment can be an offence. Accidentally opening a letter does not automatically constitute a crime, but the safest option is to leave it unopened and return it according to Royal Mail's advice.
