Consequences to NOT Going through with a Signed Short-Term Lease?

[Elizabeth Semple]

Dear Florida/Palm Beach County members--your advice sought!

Husband and I have signed a short-term lease to allow some folks to live in our PBG condo for three months. These tenants have been approved by our HOA and I have accepted their security deposit. The lease is to begin mid-January (three months from now) and run into April.

But now, for health reasons, we have changed our minds.  We don't want to rent this place out to anyone.  We want  to stay in our condo over the winter.

So, yes, I just found out the hard way it's a lot easier to rent out a "rental property" than it is to rent out one's home.

My question to you experts is, can the tenants sue us or otherwise punish us for changing our minds?

I was going to write a nice letter to them about our decision and to include the return of their deposit money with a few hundred dollars added. 

Can they legally retaliate?

Many thanks,

Amateur Hour