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Your property lease. Although it's not always the way you'd think.I was living in Atlanta ~10 years ago and won a 1-year lease at a charity auction. My rent was ~$600 a month (prepaid), market rent was ~1,500. A good deal! The security deposit was only $150 (more on that later).A year is nearly up and I sign a lease at a new place. About a month before I am ready to move out the leasing agent for the apartment complex stops me and asks about my renewal. We had always been cordial to this point, but things were about to get very nasty.Agent: Are you renewing for another year?Me: No, I have a lease on a new place, I am moving out.Agent: Well we require a 2-month notice, so you have to give us a notice in writing, and we are going to charge you the market "month to month" rate of ~$2,000 per month. If you don't live here during that time it is your fault.Me: Let me read my lease and get back to you.As I am in real estate, I know how to dig through a lease. I read it and set up a meeting. About a week or two later:Agent: Thanks for coming back in, I hope you understand how much trouble you are in and your financial obligations. I have spoken to the corporate office about your situation. They are willing to make the 2-month notice a "fine" and only charge you $3,500 since you will not be living here.Me: Yeah, about that. Per the lease, you are required to give me notice of my new rental rates before the 2-month notice commences. Failure to do so invalidates the 2-month notice.Agent: We did that! We left it under your door!Me: I don't know if you did or not, either way, it clearly states that the notice must be given VIA certified mail, return receipt.Agent: But hand delivery works just the same.Me: Not according to the lease. (I hand her a copy of the lease with the notice section highlighted) Did I sign a receipt stating that I received the notice? I did no such thing. Per [section] all notices must be sent certified mail. Here is a copy of a tracking number for my notice not to renew, sent certified mail return receipt requested. It should be received by your office today, if you don't have it already.Agent: We got it, but...Me: (Interrupting her) As my lease is up in 15 days (some time had expired between the meetings) the 1-month notice puts me half a month into next month. You can keep my security deposit for these 15 days. My old lease rate is still in effect as notice was not given of the new rates. This gives you 2 weeks to splash and dash apartment upon my departure and have a new tenant in by the first of the following month.Agent: It does not work like that.Me: Call corporate, I think their attorneys will side with me. Have a good day!I never heard a peep from them after that, no collections, no letters. I stayed my extra 15 days (which helped me with moving to the next place) and taught that leasing agent she really needs to learn more about the product she has control over.

Post a notice on the door that you are making entry for the purposes of a periodic inspection at least 24 hours in advance. Tape it to the door so that it will come loose or tear if the door opens.In 48 hours, enter. If all is well, change the locks. Then post another notice on the door that pursuant to the 3 Day Pay or Quit Notice, entry was made for inspection and it was determined that the tenant had abandoned the rental. Give them 48 hours to contest that determination. Include that the locks will be changed after that deadline. Put on the notice the last time rent was paid and the date through which that payment entitled them to occupy the rental. If you have a security deposit, post that amount as rent and mark it as paid the first day of the month after they last paid.Now send the renter a letter via certified mail with return receipt requested, and a copy via regular first class mail. The letter should include the info on the last notice posted. Then outline how the deposit is being used to offset past due rent, changing locks, etc. If they wish to receive any potential refund, the keys must be returned within 2 calendar days of receipt. Send both letters to the new address, if you have it. If you do not have a new address, send it to the rental unit and the Post Office will forward it.Stay professional no matter how irate the former tenant becomes. BTW, if there is personal property in the rental, they can claim it has not been abandoned. Take pictures that are date/time stamped. Make pictures when you post anything on the door as proof. Email the picture to yourself to add another layer of proof of when it was taken.

You write a nice letter rebutting the various allegations, hand them a copy, send them one via certified mail return receipt requested—demand full compensation per your employment contract and hours worked and advise them that you will seek legal redress from your state Labor commissioner. Don’t threaten, keep the tone professional—as this letter will be your Exhibit A if the matter escalates.Then you head straight to your state Labor commissioner or regulator and make a complaint that you were not paid fair wages.If you stole something, that doesn’t mean they can withhold money. They need to prove the claims, obtain a judgment and then get a Writ of Execution authorizing them to take the money.You are likely entitled to penalties and other compensation.If you did steal something, take the money and never speak of the place again. Hope that they don’t turn you in.Never invoke a legal remedy if your own affairs are not going to stand up to scrutiny.