Small Claims Court- New Jersey Essex Rental (Buy and Hold)

[Jodi-Ann Bennett]

Hello All,

So I have a tenant that recently moved out on July 16th. The lease wasn't up until October. I had to pay him $200 to move out because he only paid $250 in May and that was the last payment. So he owes for May, June and July. Also even though he only lived there for 9 months the apartment needed a lot of painting and he clearly didn't clean the whole time he lived there. But thankfully there were no damages.  The rent is $1100 a month. Hopefully I can find a tenant for September 1st.

Question: Is it worth it to go to small claims court to recoup the losses after taking the security deposit? What amount should I claim? The security deposit is $1,650.Also chances are he will not be willing to share his current address. How can I obtain his current address to send him court documents?

Thanks all!