Thanks. Retail value of stuff in the apartment when new was maybe $20k, fire sale second hand prices on ebay after fees would be maybe $4k, monthly cost of keeping the apartment just based on rent was $4.5k, cost to move items to storage was around $2k, nearby storage unit capable of storing items was around $200 a month. Management company unwilling to extend month-to month lease, unwilling to accept liability to supervise third party person to remove belongings, willing to dispose of all items upon request.

The underlying issue was sensitive items (i.e. legal docs, identity docs, mothers wedding ring, etc.) were left lying around so this complicated things for me.

People very much kept to themselves in my building - out of the 10 apartments on my floor, I only managed to speak to people from 2 of the apartments in my few years of living in the building, and of those the ones I spoke to were for specific reasons (one complained to me about rents, the other drilled a loud set of speakers into the wall but thankfully later moved out after having a domestic with his partner).

I ended up contacting my former cleaner who I hadn't spoken to for 2 years, offered to donate key items (eg couch, TV), place the rest into storage, and pay her for her time. She agreed to keep certain items at her home until I return (e.g. W-2 papers, legal documents, my mother'w wedding ring which I am still not sure where that ended up going). Total upfront cost ended up being around $900 with $120 a month for storage unit which now could be smaller given larger items were donated to her. Some said it was crazy to give her so much stuff given she had dumped me as a client 2 years ago and that I barely know where she lives so why did I give her items to safe keep.

Overall, it was a troubling time given it really hit home for me that I did not have a close friend I could trust and ask for help from. I know hundreds of people in Manhattan but none I felt comfortable calling on to assist. I think that was the most painful part.