State Specific Question About: PENNSYLVANIA (PA)

Legal advice needed. Have tenants who gave a notice in writing that they were leaving, breaking their lease, said place with un- livable, which was totally untrue. Letter did not state a date a date that they would be out and the really bad thing is that I lost the letter..... In the mean time, I found new tenants to move in July 1st. Got it verbally from old tenant, that they would be out by then, but of course the last thing I heard was that the place they are moving into may not be ready for a week.... Since that last call, they are not returning my calls. I already took a sec dep from new tenants. They technically have till July 9th to be out of where they are, but they want their dep back if I can't guarantee them they can be in by at least the 3rd or 4th. I don't blame them. They need some time to move. Lease I gave them is for July 1st, but I don't have a singned copy back from them..... Today I will be going over to confront the old tenants. What should I give them legally? I may have already lost the new tenants.

I don't understand your management choices. First of all the lost move out letter is key to this entire issue. Without a written response, your tenant need not move out on the verbal agreed date and you may loose at your first eviction attempt. Imagine this, your tenants say your property is unlivable and you fail to respond. Any judge will think the facts are in. On the other hand if you wrote a response that said, "At your lease signing and inspection you found the property to be in great move in condition and failed to issue a single complaint or repair request". Now a few months later you say there are issues but fail to list them so that I can deal with them. Please provide me with a list of complaints, repairs or issues so that I can effect any timely repair.

You wasted time finding a new tenant when you lying tenant give you lip service and you believe they will be out as they say, will never happen.

No matter that you lost the letter.

You say, notice in writing that they were leaving, but letter did not state a date that they would be out.

So the letter is not at all notice of intent to vacate which could form the basis for eviction if they held over. Therefore, you had no basis for promising availability to new tenants. Anything you got verbally from old tenants is, of course, not worth the paper ...

You may be in trouble having taken security topside from new tenants, without having a property to be available. They have a right to be able to make plans, and you, having taken a deposit, may be responsible for any damage because they made plans. Plus, you took deposit before finalizing a rental agreement.

Frankly, I would return the deposit, tell new tenants that you cannot promise ANYTHING (you don't have to point out that it is all due to your disorganization), get something finalized with old tenants (they are responsible for rent through end of the lease, unless they give you adequate. notice).

is the place really re-rentable without any time for repairs/cleaning? this sounds way too optimistic for me

if you really want them out now, go there with a fist full of cash..offer to put them in a hotel, and put all their stuff into storage while they wait for their new unit to become available.