Tenant canceled last minute, what to do?

Questioner

My boyfriend and I rent out a room in our apartment. We temporarily rent the room to people who are doing an internship in the area. Last month, the tenant (unfortunately before signing the contract or paying the deposit/rent) canceled 2 days before moving in. To prevent this in the future, we would like to include something about this in the contract. For example, that the deposit must be paid before moving in and that in the event of cancellation before moving in, we will keep the deposit. Of course, I want to do this correctly and I cannot find on the internet whether this is allowed, or how others deal with this situation. What is the best thing for us to do?

Lawyer

Deposit is not for rent arrears but to cover damage caused by tenant. You could ask tenant for an advance payment of half the rent. However, that does not mean that you are entitled to actually keep this deposit, it depends on the content of the provision. Otherwise, please contact me by email?