State Specific Question About: PENNSYLVANIA (PA)

Can I use the security deposit as a penalty to cover my time and costs to advertise, show, and re- rent for a person that leaves during a one year lease?

I did find another renter, I am prorating the rent and refunding the old tenant the rent that they paid for September.

My lease has a clause that says; "IN the event that the tenant should break this lease without the written permission of the owner, the unpaid rent for the remainder of this lease will become immediately due and owing to the owner."

does that hold true if I find another rentor? or can that be considered a early lease termination fee?

I had about 50 hours in showing, advertizing, answering e-mails, calls etc. Can this be deducted from security deposit?

In Pa you will have a hard time enforcing a clause that will allow you double dip on rent on a place without having the resident volunteer to do so. So telling a tenant that the balance of the rent is due upon breaking the lease is very questionable.

Typically a judge will allow you to charge the cost of you taking the actions to rerent the place (clean, repair and market it) and the lost rent during the term of the lease that was broken, but you really have to show how you went out of your way to get the place re-rented.

Dorie, You cannot keep the deposit "just cuz." It must be applied to unpaid rent or cleaning/repairs.

An Early Lease Termination Fee will cover most problems like this AND make you money.

We don't return any rent. The res expected to pay for the month and returns can get dicey.

MY judge says we can do what we want with the home once the former res has moved out.

When I rent a car and return it early in the day I still get charged for that day AND they re-rent it for that day in minutes.

50 hours is A LOT! I suggest you re-visit your procedures and streamline them. I KNOW you are spending much of your time on deadbeats and liars.

-All calls go to voice mail. MY voicemail says GO TO THE WEBSITE to see what's available, prices, photos, and applications. Walk thru videos on Youtube. One has 1100 views. Saved me a TON of time!

Me? Phone calls are a total waste of time. People lie about income, evictions, smoking, animals...then many don't show up.

We have not shown a vacant home for over 1,000 new leases.

We do not spend a second on them until we have their app in hand and it looks decent.

We are approving 1.5 out of 20 paid applications. Even just 20 would have eaten up a lot of time.

BRAD