Actions to take when tenant breaks a lease

[Derrick Shannonhouse]

A tenant of mine recently broke their lease.  They still have 6 months remaining on the lease.  The home was left in good condition, but I'm anticipating they may not continue to pay the rent while I work to get a new tenant in.

Assuming this tenant doesn't pay rent for a few months while the home is on the market what actions can I take to recoup the lost rent?  

A person fairly knowledgeable with rentals told me this was a small claims type issue, but I want to confirm what the best and most cost effective course of action is.

For context, the tenant was paying $2000/month, so if they don't pay for a few months it's a decent amount of rental income I'm losing.

Thanks!

[Mark Buskuhl]

If you used the TREC lease, be sure you enlisted a Realtor to prepare it or it's voidable. 

Copyright: If an active REALTOR® member of the Texas Association of REALTORS® or an active member of the State Bar of Texas does not negotiate this lease as a party or for one of the parties, either as a party’s broker or attorney, this lease is voidable at will by Tenant.