Ordinarily, under the express terms of the lease or state law, the destruction of the property or condemnation of the property by the government terminates the lease. Whether property can be used for business purposes is regulated by zoning ordinances. If the local zoning ordinances prohibit operating a business at the premises, such commercial use is unlawful. Most leases provide that the tenant must use residential premises only for residential purposes. The purpose of a security deposit is to protect the landlord against damage to the property caused by the tenant during the term of the lease.
Many states limit the amount of security deposit that can be collected by a landlord.
A tenant may not use the security deposit to pay his last month's rent. Tenants are well advised to take photographs of the premises when the lease terminates to establish that the property was left in good condition when they vacated. A tenant can file suit in small claims court to recover his security deposit and may be entitled to an award of reasonable attorneys fees and court costs if successful. A. A sublease is a lease of all or a portion of the premises from a tenant to a sub-tenant. Often, subleases are prohibited in the lease or may require approval by the landlord.