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What are FL state laws on charging late fees for over-due rent?
As mentioned earlier there is no specific statute. In order for a FL landlord to impose late fees they have to be detailed in the lease and the default is what's considered "reasonable".
I've always understood that I am dealing with people. Some good some bad some indifferent. I can't remember when I last charged a late fee. I usually give everyone a free one time late fee. If it's something that keeps happening I will charge you. I make it absolutely clear I don't like to see rent late. Both at lease signing and after the first time. I will let it go once. I think that's fair. Sometimes **** just happens. All my tenants have been late once. When it happens they are told this is their only free one. The nex time fee applies. None were late the second time around. Except one. He paid the fee.
After that one time I its late I apply the late fee. Granted if some disaster happens I'm not gonna pound you. But your kid getting the sniffles isn't a life and death situation.
A friend of mine has no grace period. After the 1st it's late and a late fee applies. That's it. But that's his choice and it's the choice to rent from him under his rules.
Last edited by Electrician4you; 03-23-2015 at 10:40 AM..
I have paid my rent ontime for almost three years now and my landlord(trinity properities) keeps sending me letters that I'm late when I'm not. I think they should have bigger fines for trieding to get money for no reason and they stress me out because I do the right thing
I have paid my rent ontime for almost three years now and my landlord(trinity properities) keeps sending me letters that I'm late when I'm not. I think they should have bigger fines for trieding to get money for no reason and they stress me out because I do the right thing
When you showed them your receipts proving that your rent was on time, what did they say?
I have paid my rent ontime for almost three years now and my landlord(trinity properities) keeps sending me letters that I'm late when I'm not. I think they should have bigger fines for trieding to get money for no reason and they stress me out because I do the right thing
I have paid my rent ontime for almost three years now and my landlord(trinity properities) keeps sending me letters that I'm late when I'm not. I think they should have bigger fines for trieding to get money for no reason and they stress me out because I do the right thing
Apparently not.
My guess is that the letters go out automatically the day after the due date.
If you ride the due date and mail your rent even two or three days before the due date it might not be received or processed before the letters go out.
That's something you need to fix by either mailing your rent earlier (with a delivery signature) or delivering it to the management office yourself on or before the due date and getting a receipt.
My rent is due on the first of month 1 and is late by 5 at 12am. Yes I pay by money order landlords request. I prove all my information that I have advised everyone. For the month of November and December got a letter saying i paid partial rent and had a 50 dollar late fee added on to it. The landlord advised me it was there trouble in the computer systems for two months that why I got the letter. Every time I talk to them they avoid me when I tell them I have proof. I hope the federal government gets stricter on landlord defrauding tenants.
My rent is due on the first of month 1 and is late by 5 at 12am. ...........
It's very unlikely that your rent is not late until after the fifth. Unless your rental agreement is extraordinarily unusual, your rent is due on the first and late on the Second.
Most likely what you have is a 5 day grace period. Rent is late on the second but late fees and eviction notice can't happen until after the fifth. If you had been paying me every month on the 4th, I wouldn't be charging late fees and could not evict you for non payment, but I would kick you out at the first opportunity and when the next landlord called for a reference, I would tell him you had paid late every month.
If your rent is due on the first, it is due on the first and any day after the first is late.
My rent is due on the first of month 1 and is late by 5 at 12am. Yes I pay by money order landlords request. I prove all my information that I have advised everyone. For the month of November and December got a letter saying i paid partial rent and had a 50 dollar late fee added on to it. The landlord advised me it was there trouble in the computer systems for two months that why I got the letter. Every time I talk to them they avoid me when I tell them I have proof. I hope the federal government gets stricter on landlord defrauding tenants.
When you get a letter that your rent is delinquent you respond with a letter saying that it isn't and you include copies of your payment documentation. You keep copies of everything and get delivery confirmation from the post office or you deliver directly to the management office.
I recently set up automatic bill-pay with my bank to ensure my landlord received payment on time. Unfortunately, I didn't pay close enough attention to the "delivery date" and my rent payment was late. My landlord charged me 10% (as stipulated in our agreement), however, I feel this is excessive and possibly illegal. Unfortunately I could't find any information in the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act governig late fees. Though strangely enough I did find that the maximum late fee allowed for a rental-purchase was $5 a day. Does anyone know the law in this matter? BTW, I'm a landlord myself in Georgia and I can't charge more than $25.
Georgia isn’t SC. You agreed to pay the late fee if you’re late. Pay it and move on. I have a $50 late fee charge. I don’t like charging it but I will enforce them if the tenant is late more than one time.
South Carolina doesn’t seem to have any laws on fees and it’s basucally left between you and the LL. So you would lose as in that state it’s neither deemed excessive or illegal.
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