Some How My SWH Was Deleted When I Tried to Change a Word

Updated on October 11, 2013
S.H. asks from Santa Barbara, CA
24 answers

If the landlord has been used to getting the rent check after the due date but usually within the 5 day grace period or a few days to one week after that would it hurt your feelings to hear about it? For example, the landlord reminding you it is due on the 1st of the month when the check is given to the landlord on the 5th or 6th? The tenant does not have to give the payment on the first and there is a late fee after the 5th, yet the landlord has never charged the late fee.

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So What Happened?

I have to be honest, I would rather have a person a little late than a BITCH living in the house. These women who complain yet pay on time are so much worse. 'I hear a fire truck.'

I would not charge her a late fee (i think I would rather not renew a lease before I did that).

It is funny how the tone changed when I said I was the landlord.
edit: I did not change anything in the 'my question' field. I was annoyed that i typed a nice story in the SWH and I went to add more info and the whole thing erased and the the subject line did too because i didn't pay attention to the cursor.

edit: the tone changed because most assumed that I was the tenant. All I was asking was would 'you' be offended by a gentle reminder. Yes, I love my tenant and it is personal. I would not let just anyone live there since it is so close to my house and my children. She is the sweetest elderly woman who happens to be wealthy and chooses to live simple in our modest cottage. Unlike some, I do not assume since I had to see assets and hire a property manager to find me the right person.

Gramma: I am grateful to have a wonderful tenant. I have had some that complain about everything, yet pay on time.

Featured Answers

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M.F.

answers from Phoenix on

I wouldn't be offended, but a person who feels that the grace period is just an extension of the due date probably would. A person who thinks that just because they pay in the grace period or within a week of that they are doing nothing wrong, would probably think since they eventually pay, the landlord should be happy with that and not nit-pick about when rent is received. They would probably think that since the landlord hasn't charged a late fee yet, the landlord doesn't mind and they're doing nothing wrong by paying late every month.
They would also be self-centered, irresponsible, entitled jerks who, if I was the landlord, would be reminded this month, charged a late fee every month they pay past the due date and evicted the next time they pay past the grace period.

8 moms found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I don't know what "feelings" have to do with it, it's a business transaction between an owner/manager and a client/resident. It's nice when it's friendly and flexible but ultimately it shouldn't be about personal feelings. Both parties should maintain some professional boundaries.

7 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

I wouldn't feel offended about being reminded, but I would probably feel guilty for having consistently taken advantage of the grace period, and the landlords kindness.

7 moms found this helpful

More Answers

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

ETA: Since you are the landlord, you can stipulate when rent is due. If you have decided to change the contract, then you need to ensure that you are not violating any laws by changing the due date or removing the grace period.

There will be some who will say - lack of planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part.

So just because your husband was furloughed - it's NOT the renter's problem. You have allowed a grace period and have not enforced a late fee - that's YOUR problem. You need to have a chat with your renter and tell her that rent is due by the 5th - and late fees will commence.

You've allowed this behavior to happen. Now, you're going to have to change it.

-----------------------------------

S.:

I'm sorry - I'm having a hard time following this. What's there to be offended about?

Are you the landlord or the renter? Either way - what does it matter? How is it YOUR business?

If the check is due on the 1st and there is a grace period - the landlord can't charge a late fee if the rent is received by the end of the grace period.

If the landlord chooses NOT to charge for payments received on the 6th of later - that's the landlord's choice.

If the renter decides to his/her rent late and the landlord allows it - that's THEIR business - NOT MINE. I'm NOT going to tell a landlord how to conduct his business.

6 moms found this helpful
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R.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Rent should be paid on time. End of story. Landlord has every right to say something. If your payday is every other Friday, but your boss pays you on the following Monday or Tuesday, would that be okay?

People want their money at the agreed upon time. I would not be offended in being asked to pay on time. I would make every effort to pay on time. You consistently pay late, even AFTER the grace period and you think it's okay?

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

We are landlords, and it depends on the client. Our tenants now always pay us on the last day of the grace period. But they always pay it and it hasn't been late yet, so we don't remind them. Our last tenants were habitually late and always had a story. We always sent them a reminder notice on the first. Nothing nasty, just a simple note, usually asking when they planned on stopping by. As far as we are concerned, the grace period is just a bit of time added as a convenience to the tenants. We do strictly enforce late charges when applicable. We have learned the hard way, that things can get out of hand and sketchy when you forgive late charges. We are not heartless or rude about it. Sticking to the contract is important. You are asking for trouble later when you make allowances.

6 moms found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

I wouldn't be offended if I were reminded. That said, I am the type of person that NEVER makes a payment past a due date. It is just not who I am. A contract is a contract.

As a landlord, I would be offended if someone consistently paid late, fee or no fee.

As a landlord, I would probably not renew your lease and your history of constant late payments due to not paying by the due date (even within a grace period) would also be reported to the credit bureaus.

You signed a contract to pay on the 1st....... not the 5th or 6th. You are lucky your landlord has been gracious enough to not charge you a late fee as of yet. I probably would not charge a late fee if it happened one or two times but consistently??? I'd be charging you a late fee and not renew your contract because you don't seem to understand what a contract is all about.

Abide by your contract or you could end up without a lease. Why do you feel entitled to consistently pay late?

ETA: I didn't pick up a change in tone after the SWH. Bottom line, you have allowed this behavior to go on without doing anything about it so you're probably out of luck on getting the renter to pay in a timely manner now. Personally, this is a business deal and you should keep personal feelings out of it and deal with the situation as business.

6 moms found this helpful

L.B.

answers from New Orleans on

Your lease is a contract that both parties are expected to uphold.

I work in property management - trust me, chronic late payees are a pain.
Your landlord has bills to pay also - counts on the rent to pay them - when you (and others) consistently pay late it may make his payments late.

Also, you attitude about it is rude. I remind my chronically late residents of when the rent is due every time they pay late - in hopes that they will figure out to budget and pay their rent on time. It creates more work and expense for landlords when tenants pay late.

Keep in mind that while you feel "The tenant does not have to give the payment on the first" the landlord does not have to renew the lease.

5 moms found this helpful

V.S.

answers from Reading on

If the due date is the 1st, the due date is the 1st. Not the 5th. The 5th is a grace period for that occasional slip up, not the regular due date. It's a courtesy to the tenant, not the tenant's privilege to turn it in late every month. And the tenant should be grateful for that grace, not take advantage of it.

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C.C.

answers from New York on

What tone changed when you said you were the landlord?

I don't know how you do business.

My landlord is nice and I'm nice. I don't complain and he/she doesn't either.

5 moms found this helpful

G.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

If I cannot pay my bills on time I wouldn't be offended if the person reminds me of the due date. The due date is the first, you are supposed to pay on the first, a grace is in case you forget, sounds like they are thinking the due date is actually the 5th and then since they haven't been charged a late fee the grace is a week or two after that.

If I were the landlord I would just stop reminding and start charging the late fee, especially if someone finds a reminder offensive.

Well looking at your what happened the fact that they are furloughed shouldn't impact this month since they were just furloughed. Next month may be a niceness issue.

4 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

It's due the first so get it to him on or before the first.
The grace period is fine if it's only used once in a great while (like less than once per year) but to always use it is just ridiculous, it's rude, it's irresponsible and I believe it hurts your credit rating.
If you ever go to buy a house, the bank will look at when your bills are due and when they get paid - and they are not going to like loaning money to anyone who doesn't pay their bills promptly.
Get your finances and your attitude straightened out and be grateful your landlord hasn't evicted you.

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M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

I would be annoyed if I was the landlord... The lease states when the rent is due each month, so it's not like that's a surprise... Then, even though he is nice enough to give a 5 day grace period, as well as forgive an extra day on top of that, the tenant still insists on paying late every month.

I would be reminding every month too. It doesn't matter if the landlord is "used" to it or not.

Our rent is also due on the first of every month. We usually pay it with the last paycheck of the previous month, because paying late is unacceptable to us.

4 moms found this helpful
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X.Y.

answers from Chicago on

ETA: Just so everyone knows, you changed your original post.; not sure why. And your SWH is quite strange.

Original; Let your renter know that from now on you will be charging the late fee if they pay after the grace period. Other than that there is nothing you can do if they are paying it before the grace period. There is nothing wrong with asking for the rent on the first, but the renter does not have to comply, since your contract has a grace period. Just ask her.

4 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

my feelings wouldn't be hurt. and i'd expect to pay the late fee.
bidness is bidness.
khairete
S.

3 moms found this helpful

J.O.

answers from Boise on

I have lived in the same place for 15 years, we rent. There isn't even a rental agreement anymore (they sold and then ended up with the property again, I think it was a rent to own kinda thing).

I've always paid on the 7th, that's our pay day, but every first Friday of the month they call with a gentle reminder. Cracks me up, cause I have told them over and over again we aren't paid on Fridays, we are paid on the 7th and the 22nd. Whatever days they fall on, but whatever, they don't really care, they are older and just seem to forget, but I love them to death.

If there is ever a time where I can't have it all, for whatever reason, all I have to is let them know, and let them know when I will and they are good with that. I, of course always give them what I do have. Last month our basement flooded, due to a bizarre storm that came through and it cost me a little more to clean it all up then I thought it would. They had no problem waiting.

They also allow us pretty much free reign inside and outside the house, as long as it benefits the property they don't care. While I wish they did more of the landlord type stuff, we have a pretty nice set up.

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D.K.

answers from Columbus on

Reminder sounds reasonable. Is there a reason they always pay late, for example paycheck is the first Friday of the month? If there is a reason maybe adjust the due date so you are not having to remind them and they pay on time. A late fee is reasonable if they are just choosing not to pay, you could need the income that day. If both of you are fine with the way things ate then no issue.

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C.C.

answers from Sacramento on

As a landlord I occasionally remind mine but only if I haven’t heard from her by the 5th. I’ve asked my tenant to ensure that she communicates with me when she is going to be late. The couple has lived in my house for 3 years but the last year have been continually late. It’s a business transaction. If I was late on any other bill I would get an e-mail reminder so what’s the difference?

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

The landlord has bills to pay. You should pay on time and not be offended. It is his business and he has to pay the mortgage on the unit. It was kind of him not to charge the late fee when you were "a few days to one week" after the grace period. If you owned and your mortgage was paid past the grace period you would be charged a late fee. Would you be offended if your credit card company asked you to pay on time?

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

That landlord is simply practicing good business. If you look at a bill, you'll see the due date every month, every bill. The landlord is doing the same thing verbally. It may even his/her responsibility to do just that.

If a tenant pays the rent after it is due and the landlord does not charge a late fee, it's called generosity, not entitlement. No, I'm not saying it's *your* landlord.

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D..

answers from Miami on

I haven't read your other post. I always paid mine on time back when I was renting long ago, because I liked doing it that way. If someone isn't living hand-to-mouth, they should pay the rent when it's due. However, since the contract says they have a 5 day grace period, then you have to accept it.

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E.T.

answers from Albuquerque on

It would annoy me if my landlord reminded me that rent was due on the 1st, so long as it wasn't yet the 5th. Your tenant may have decided that it's easier to pay the penalty than come up with the money on time. And since there's a 4 day grace period, the tenant is going to take advantage of it.

If I was the landlord, I'd start charging the late fee. Better to follow one's own rules before nagging other people to.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Many people don't get paid on the first, that's why the grace period is there. We get our SSDI on the 3rd. Sometimes the office is closed if it's a weekend so we have to wait until the next day they are open.

I think in these times Landlords should be grateful they have someone in their property that even pays each month.

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T.V.

answers from San Francisco on

Why get your feelings hurt about something you know should be paid on time. If you have a good relationship with your landlord and he/she has been good to you, let them know if something comes up and you will need a few extra days. Call them...talk to them (person to person)..above don't hide out and think it will just go away.

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