After renting my property for only 2 months in a 12 month lease, the tenants left the state and is not current with the rent. They have taken all of their clothes, personal effects, leaving all furniture behind. They have stated they will not be coming back to the property to live. They have been gone over a month. Can I:

Change the locks?
Dispose of the furniture?
Relet the premesis asap?
Go after them for past rent & penalty fees?

If so, how and when. I have posted a 3-day notice (taken from the County Clerk of the Court website) demanding rent and fees OR failing that, repossession of the property, on the front door. The 3 day time limit is up and there has been no response. They have not picked up their mail since they left so I'm assuming they are not having anythiing forwarded. Help!

You may continue to force them to pay rent, Florida is one of the few places that don't even require you to try to rent it out, So unless you reach an agreement with them, you can just sue for the entire lease.

They have stated they will not be coming back to the property to live.

How have they made that statement?



I have posted a 3-day notice (taken from the County Clerk of the Court website) demanding rent and fees OR failing that, repossession of the property, on the front door. The 3 day time limit is up and there has been no response.

So now you go to court and file for a repossession order.

Once the court grants that, you can take repossession, change the locks, remove their furniture whatever. While Chuck is correct that you could sue them at the end of the lease, you might find it hard to collect. So I would just take repossession so you can rent it again.