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shite like this is why I hate landlords and will always do anything in my power to frick them over. Oh, poor you has to put up another free Craigslist ad and do a $25 credit check all because your previous tenant has the nerve to make an economically smart move and become a homeowner. You want them to wait until the exact moment their lease is up to start searching for a house to buy? How long did it take you to find your house? Please do take them to court so a small claims judge can grill you about what steps you took to mitigate the loss of rent, what you did to work with your tenants to negotiate a favorable outcome for everyone, and what steps you took other than being a typical slum lord douche.

Hope I never end up renting one of my houses to an entitled dipshit like you. The point of the matter is not that a landlord is trying to punish a tenant for making a financially smart move. The point is that the tenant is being provided a service and you entered into a contract for said service and you agreed upon the terms. If you do not like the terms of the agreement, then don't rent the house from the landlord. Problems like the one the OP has mentioned could be resolved much easier if the tennant decided to contact the landlord and tried to negotiate something BEFORE he decided to break the lease. That binding contract that the landlord uses to collect penalties from tennants breaking lease is their to protect both parties and is, in your words, a financially smart move for the landlord.

To the op- I'm not a lawyer but I have been to small claims court a couple times over non-payment from a tenant. I have negotiated with people on several occasions and ended up with a resolution that was very reasonable to both parties. However, I only did so when the tenant was respectful and contacted me prior to making the decision to vacate. It depends upon the terms of your contract as to what they would get out of you breaking lease. It sounds like you at some point were okay with the penalty, and had accepted it, but only now are upset seeing that the home is being rented again. I would contact the management firm and see if they would be willing to negotiate. They may tell you tough luck since you don't really have any leverage in this situation. Either way, if I were you, I would definitely not leave the fees unpaid since It is very cheap to file a claim in small claims court and they can really screw your credit up. Good luck