Mid-term tenant abandons property after a few days

[Danette Tranter]

Hi everyone,

Looking for advice on a mid-term rental situation. A tenant texted and called before 6am saying she saw a mouse, and she was too afraid to go in the bathroom and get ready for work. She said she needed to be at work in about an hour. When I woke up, I responded and said I would be over to help address the situation (we rent a separate unit on our property). When I got there she had packed her bags and said she couldn't handle seeing a mouse. She missed work and said "I lost money today." She asked if the deposit would be refunded, and I said the lease requires a 30 day notice but I could talk to my husband. I asked if she had somewhere else to go, and she said she was going to a hotel (at 7am?). 

My husband and I put traps out and cleaned the area near the bathroom and her room. We found lots of food crumbs on the floor and food stains on the bedding.

Questions:

1) Should we ask her to email a request for terminating the month to month lease? (The tenant has been here less than a week)

2) Would you give any refund at all? She only paid for a few days in May and rent is due in a few more days.

3) Would any type of refund imply fault on our end? We have upheld our part of the lease by addressing the situation in a timely manner.

4) Any MTM landlords, when do you collect rent--beginning of the month or every 30 days based on when they moved in? Next rental payment is due June 1st, but looking back I wish we would have collected a full month of rent for 30 days at a time. Lesson learned.

Thanks for your help! Any other advice?

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Danette Tranter:

Her story about the mouse doesn't even sound believable. I suspect she's making an excuse hoping you'll go easy on her.

I would give her a written notice (text or email is fine) that she terminated without 30 days notice and therefore she forfeits her deposit. Clean the place up and find your next renter. I would not engage in any back-and-forth discussion.