Full question:
Can the landlord try to recover rent from a tentant who has broken his lease if the landlord is renting the unit to another person can you charge rent twice for the same unit?
- Category: Landlord Tenant
- Date:
- State: Pennsylvania
Answer:
If the lease doesn’t allow for early termination, the tenant may be liable for the remaining rent unless they can prove the landlord breached the lease. The tenant's reason for moving out and any claims of landlord breach will affect this.
A security deposit typically covers unpaid rent or damages. However, landlords must try to mitigate damages by making reasonable efforts to relet the property. This means advertising and showing the unit to potential tenants. Courts will evaluate whether the landlord made reasonable attempts based on the circumstances, such as why they turned down prospective tenants or if they were unavailable to show the unit.
Once the landlord relets the unit, any rent received from the new tenant is deducted from the former tenant's damages. For example, if a tenant breaks the lease four months early but the landlord relets the unit one month later, the breaching tenant only owes rent for the remaining three months, not four. Landlords cannot collect rent twice for the same unit.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.