Transport for LondonLost property
Logging an enquiry
Use our online form to enquire about property lost on the following services:
- London Buses
- London Underground
- Docklands Light Railway
- London Overground
- Victoria Coach Station
- Black cabs (taxis)
- Emirates Air Line
It may take between two and ten days for found items to be delivered from stations and garages and entered on our system, depending on the collection schedule.
Mobile phones
For enquiries regarding lost mobile phones, you will need either the IMEI or SIM card numbers before we can search our system. These are not the same as the telephone number and can be obtained from your airtime or network provider.
Please provide a detailed description of the property, being sure to note any unique attributes or identifying features. Information regarding the date of loss and details of your journey will also help us narrow down the search from similar items of property. We will keep an enquiry open for 21 days and will notify you whether we find a match or not.
For information about property lost on other transport services, please click here
Collecting property
Property is stored by the LPO and can be claimed for a period of three months from date of loss. Currency (whether on its own or extracted from property) can be claimed up to twelve months from date of loss.
Once we have confirmed that we have found your property, it may be collected from our offices at Baker Street. We are also able to send items by courier at additional cost. In accordance with relevant legislation, a fee is payable to cover admnistration costs and you will need to provide valid identification before property is released. Should you wish for someone else to collect property on your behalf, you will need to provide a signed letter of authorisation for them to do so.
Property found in taxis is subject to an additional fee based on the value of the item. This award is given directly to the driver in recognition of their actions.
Unclaimed items
Unclaimed items become the property of TfL and will be either auctioned, donated to charity, recycled or disposed of responsibly. All personal data is removed from property and securely destroyed. Proceeds from auctions and unclaimed currency are put towards operational costs of the LPO.
Lost Property Office contact details and opening hours
Address: 200 Baker Street, London, NW1 5RZ
Phone: 0845 330 9882
(Overseas callers: +44 (20) 7486 5772)
Online: tfl.gov.uk/lostproperty
Opening hours: 08:30-16:00 Monday to Friday
Closed weekends and bank holidays
Property lost on other services
- Trams:
Tramlink Shop 020 8681 8300 (09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday) - River services:
TfL piers: Email river@tfl.gov.uk
Boats: Contact the boat operator directly
Items found in National Rail services, licensed mini-cabs, coaches, tour buses and airports are not received by the LPO. Please contact the relevant service operator directly to make an enquiry.
About the Lost Property Office
Transport for London's Lost Property Office was established in 1933. It is estimated that over 15 million items of property have been found across the network since then.
Located at Baker Street, the LPO receives up to 1,500 items per day. Each item is sorted into categories, searched and catalogued, with all relevant details entered into the LPO database, Sherlock. In cases where identification of the owner is obtained from the property, an email or postcard is sent to notify them of the find.
The LPO is guided in its function by two Acts of Parliament: the London Cab Order (1934) and the London Transport Act (1982). This legislation governs the time that property must be stored, the ownership of unclaimed items and the payment of fees and awards.
On average, one in four items found on the network are restored to their owner. For property with a higher value, such as wallets and purses, phones and cameras, the success rate is higher (up to 40 per cent).
Items received range from the everyday (bags, clothes, glasses), though to the interesting (full suitcases, electronic devices, crutches and baby buggies) through to the downright bizarre (false teeth, breast implants, wedding dresses and a theatrical coffin).
Transport for London reminds all passengers to keep their property with them at all times whist travelling on the transport network.
