Tenant Just Planning to Walk at End of Lease

[Dan Fitzpatrick]

I inherited a tenant when purchasing a 4-plex.  He has been a problem from day 1 - 4 people living in a 1 bedroom, extremely dirty, does not meet scheduled maintenance appointments, infested with cockroaches, etc.  After three months of ownership, I have decided not to renew his lease.  I have a $500 deposit and he has indicated that he is going to walk at the end of the lease and leave all of his belongings behind and that I can keep the deposit.  

Other than the deposit, do I have any rights or actions I can take to put pressure on him to at least take his things?  He says that he plans to leave the country and does not need any of the things in the apartment.  I have made it clear that I have no use for them and that I need him to remove everything and clean it up.  He says he will but has made it pretty clear that if can't sell it all he has no use for it and no way to dispose of it.

[Matthew Paul]

Get him to put it in writing and sign it .