PA Tenant Abandoned Property

[Raquel L.]

Soooo.. this is a complicated topic.

Complication #1- The tenant is a family member. Don't worry, yes, I had them sign a lease, a mold addendum, rules & regulations, and an addendum for drug-free housing.

Complication #2- They moved out with prior notice (which is required, 30 days in advance of the 1st of the month), leaving behind TONS of possessions, and moved into a shelter.

Complication #3- I was never given notice. However, they left a note for my Mom saying they were moving out because of mold in the unit due to a leak (a leak I was never notified about, and mold that wasn't there when I rented it to them). The last repair in their unit was back in April, which is exactly where they say the new leak is (you know, the leak they never told me about).

Complication #4- Ugh. I'm so mad at myself for this. Instead of requiring two month's security deposit (and believe me, family or not, this was a total necessity), I required one month security deposit, and last month's rent. They handed over the keys on June 6, which means the clock is ticking for me to itemize and mail them, although they didn't provide a forwarding address (I will mail it to the property and to my Mom's house, because she can always find family members).

Here is my question. Given the fact that they broke their lease and abandoned the property 4 months before their lease was up, what are my rights in regards to the last month's rent? They handed over the keys on June 6, but didn't say they were completely out until June 9. I know that legally, the keys signify possession, which means I need to send an itemized list regarding the security deposit in the next 30 days--but what I don't know, is what happens to the last month's rent since they're breaking their lease, without permission?