<prompt> Human: Hello Personal Finance, Long time lurker first time poster. My landlord owns several large homes that have been converted to small apartment units. I have been living in this unit for 3 years and the building has never been in fantastic shape but he is generally responsive. About a year ago his wife left him. He told me and some of the other tenants about it- rough situation, I think they have a few kids. In the year since, he has been extremely late depositing checks and now has a some of mine outstanding. The unit above me has ben empty for a year though there was a week when Im pretty sure some pests moved in. While it is annoying from a budgeting perspective, I just always remember the absolute minimum amount that must be in that checking account and deal with it kind of being nonspecific with the number of months here because of what I am about to ask.The issue now is that I am moving across the country and at least one of the checks he has is one year old. In the spring I offered to re-write and resend the checks in case he lost them, but there was no response. I have honestly stopped telling him which months in hopes he has forgotten or lost track and that I might be able to keep the money. I dont want to short change him at all, but he also alluded to half the units being empty in my building this year because I am getting divorced this year so it is ok if my income is lower. Are we his tenants, there are others in the same situation caught in the middle of a family dispute? What is his recourse like if I keep the money? I could put this money to good use!I have sincerely tried to pay this guy but am also fed up with the inconvenience he has caused me. I am moving out soon and wonder if I should offer to write the checks one final time or just wait for him to saydo something. This has now dragged on, but I wanted to hear what personal finance thinks about this. I suspect he doesnt know who owes him what as the deposits he has made have no rhyme or reason. I am tempted to just give him my forwarding info, hold onto the money for some safe amount of time, then use it if I never hear from him. Thank you for taking the time to read this! Please let me know if Ive left anything out- I am trying to spare specifics but am in a weird position. Thanks!  <response>: Also in the future if you pay via the bill pay that your bank offers, the checks are usually void after 90 days and the money would go back into your account they take the money immediately and hold it until the check is cashed. This is nice because there is no cancelled check fee. 