<prompt> Human: Hey all,Im finding myself in a difficult situation. My girlfriend at the time found a tenant for our house I own once we left the state, and the tenant has been difficult to deal with. I let my girlfriend deal with the tenant big mistake, obviously, and now the one year lease has expired, so were month to month now. I cant find my copy of the lease, and nor can the tenant. Sometimes she would pay 500, sometimes more, sometimes less rent is 1050. The tenant was supposed to pay the deposit, security only, over the course of the first 3 months, along with rent, which she never did. I realize now I should have taken care of this myself from the start. At this point, the tenant is in the hole with me for 3400 by her own admission I believe its on recording, and probably more.Anyway, the tenant is on month-to-month now, and her husband came back and is living there, and Id like to write a new lease with him on it, raising the rent slightly. He was never on the lease to begin with, and the tenant has violated the lease in many other ways obviously.Whats my next step? Im sure Ill never see that 3400 again, the husband, back on the scene, saying they pay rent every month on time and owe no back rent. Whatever. Im fine with them staying there on a lease, but Im not paying a security deposit to them should they refuse to sign a new place. They take great care of the place, and I live across the country, with my father living only a block away from the place. Id like to keep them on a lease, but without a property manager, since theyll take 100 of the first months rent and 10 each subsequent month, and I simply cant afford that. Im disabled, but am not eligible for disability since I own the home free and clear.What should I do? Have them sign a new lease? Try to collect the security deposit? I find it difficult given neither of us are in possession of the original lease, which expired at the end of August. Those in the know, please advise! I find myself between a rock and a hard place. Thank you all very much.  <response>: Being that far away from the property, and already having a multitude of outstanding issues - I would find a local property management company who will handle it all on your behalf. As part of turning the place over to the management company and establishing a new lease - theyyou can raise the monthly rent by the exact or more amount that the management company will charge.Short of that, you would want to find a very specific and very legally binding lease that you can use, add to it a declaration stating anyall security deposit is being applied to past due rent and all prior debtsassets owed to or owed by the tenant are being dismissed as of the date of the new lease. I would also serve them with notice of eviction so that whatever time limit is required by your state begins today if they are unwilling to agree to the declaration andor the new lease. 