Broken Lease Fees......

[Jason C.]

Hey there BP! Do you all have a stated "broken lease fee" in your lease? Usually when someone breaks the lease, they disappear completely on me and leave the house in bad shape, so return of any part of the deposit is not something I am considering. However, if they announce they are breaking the lease due to an issue that is not my own negligence (a house burglary in this instance), do the other landlords on here typically have this fee spelled out in the lease? 

The lease document I have used for years allows for early move out in cases of military deployment and domestic violence, which I believe is part of Texas law anyway. I had signed this tenant up for a 12 month lease,  and they are about 6 months in.

Thanks!

[Fred Cannon]

@Jason C. My lease says that early termination of lease forfeits deposit. I charge an upfront admin fee that covers the cost of cleaning background-checks and pest control service. I have never had a tenNt move out where cleaning wasn’t necessary so I just started charging up front. I adjust the deposit down in dollars to reflect the admin charges.