Tenant leaving before lease end

[Jonathan V.]

Hey BP,

One of my tenants has a "family emergency" and is planning to move away permanently by the end of November (still has 6 months left on lease). They also want to leave the furniture because they don't have the money to ship it.

I told them they must find a way to get rid of the furniture, either sell or donate it.

The real problem is: this tenant has terrible credit and probably very little money saved (I inherited this tenant when I bought the building), so I won't be surprised if they just leave with no notice and leave everything behind. 

--> Is there any way to gain leverage in this situation short of legal action? Technically they would owe one month's rent for breaking the lease early, and they still haven't paid for November. Deposit is only half of one month's rent, too.

Thanks!