State Specific Question About: PENNSYLVANIA (PA)

You can bill them but as NE said, they won't believe it and they won't pay. Let them move out calmly, remind them you need their forwarding address regarding the Deposit (not to send a refund, just regarding the Deposit) and then send them a full accounting. If there is a balance due over above the deposit, ask them to pay. They won't.

You will then have to sue them, get a judgment, and hope someday they want to buy a house or something and need to get the judgment cleared.

Good advice already.

Try to do everything you can to get their new address or you'll be SOL.

Even if it means offer to help them move something to the new place - be as nice & helpful as possible. Or follow them at a distance. Maybe from work. Or offer to send the deposit straight to the new landlord to expedite it for them - of course you need the landlord's contact info & they should give you the address.

Do whatever you can to get their new address before they disappear!

As others have said, once they move out, you send the the settlement with amount due, get their new address, then you file a small claims court suit. Filing the suit will require the address so they can be served.

I have had departing tenants pay for the damages afterwards.

It is VERY rare. In one case the tenant was doing some things that the police would not be keen of. I knew it, tenant knew it. I said I would give him one shot to get on a pay schedule otherwise I would sue in small claims. I didn't threaten with the police but he knew it was possible.

The other was a couple. Her mother bought a place for them so the new baby could be closer. Mom found out and she told them to make it right with me.

I have one tenant right now that has some problems with the apartment. He is moving next year when he retires. My plan is to start working ahead of time on his place, otherwise he will need to pay on a schedule.

Actually I just remembered that two of the tenants I moved to other housing owed me for additional cleaning and such. They are both paying it with extras on the rents.

Guess it boils down to the relationship you have with the tenant. The reason they are leaving is just as important.

Question of the day.

Mine is more of a question building on the topic…

Let’s say they move out and don’t leave a forwarding address, but you want to find them. What would happen if you sent a certified mail item to their old address (your rental) in hopes that they asked the post office to forward all their mail….would you be able to somehow see via the certified process where they delivered the mail to?

In Pa, the max deposit you can collect is two months. After year one is complete, you can only hold a deposit equal to one month's rent.

So at move in you collected say $995 times three (first month's rent and two months security deposit) for a total of $2,985. One year passes and the new rent is $1,045. You would be expected to return that surplus deposit. I would encourage you to change your rent and your deposit amount when you raise the rent.