You moved in. The previous owner's mail did not. This is a common problem, and it is annoying -- but before you do anything, know this: throwing away someone else's mail is a federal offense. Even if it is junk mail. It is called "obstruction of correspondence" and it carries real legal weight.
So here is what you actually do.
What to Do
Put a note inside your mailbox that reads: "[Name] no longer lives here." You can also write your own name on the mailbox itself. Carriers can flag your address in their system, which stops future deliveries for that name before they even sort. Most carriers pick this up within a week or two.
Write "Not at this address" directly on the envelope and drop it back in your mailbox with the flag up. Your carrier returns it to the sender. The barcode trick: cross out the barcode on the envelope too. USPS sorts by barcode, and crossing it out forces a manual review, which gets the message across faster.
If you have any way to reach the previous resident, ask them to file a Change of Address Form. They should have done it before leaving -- many people forget. It is the most complete fix because it redirects their mail at the source across every sender at once. If you have no way to reach them, skip to Step 4.
Go in person and talk to a clerk. Tell them you keep getting mail for a previous resident and Steps 1 and 2 are not cutting it. They can flag it in their system and pass it to your carrier directly. Worth doing if the problem has dragged on more than a few weeks.
If one specific company keeps sending to the previous resident despite everything else, file PS Form 1500 at your post office. Attach the piece of mail, hand it to a clerk, and once it is processed -- usually 30 to 45 days -- it becomes a federal offense for that mailer to send to your address again. That is not a warning. That is law. Download PS Form 1500 from USPS
What Not to Do
Do not open it. Even opening someone else's mail by mistake can create problems. Doing it intentionally is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 1702.
Do not throw it away. Same law. Tossing someone else's mail -- junk or otherwise -- is obstruction of correspondence.
Do not file a Change of Address Form for them. Only the recipient can do that. Submitting one on their behalf is mail fraud.
Do not ignore it. It will not stop on its own. Mailing lists get resold and recycled for years.
What About "Current Resident" Mail?
Mail addressed to "Current Resident" or "Occupant" is actually addressed to you. You are the current resident. You do not need to return it or flag it as misdelivered -- it is yours to deal with. To cut down on that kind of mass marketing mail, use our opt-out kit.
Opt-Out Kit Generator
Enter your address and get a personalized step-by-step plan to opt out of junk mail, credit offers, catalogs, and marketing lists — for free.
If the previous owner is deceased, the process is slightly different. See our guide: How to Stop Junk Mail for a Deceased Person →
Get the free opt-out kit -- a personalized checklist covering DMAchoice, OptOutPrescreen, CatalogChoice, and more. Takes 20 minutes. Works for years.