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Instead, deposit your rent checks directly into the landlord's bank account. If you took the precaution of writing "For deposit only" in the section labeled "Endorse here" on the back of your check, then your landlord would only have been able to deposit the check to his own account, else anyone could have cashed it or deposited it into their account.
Tell your landlord that you intend to deposit rent checks directly into the account where your most recent rent check was deposited, unless he has an alternative. He may prefer and provide a different account.
If your check was not deposited, and you feel comfortable asking, get your landlord to give you his account number and the name of his bank. Corporations will gladly give it to you, but individuals tend to be secretive about this info and unaware that it is printed on the back of each cancelled check they've ever deposited to their account. So, you could just write "For deposit only" on your next check, then wait a month for the info to show up.
For your next payment, deposit the rent check personally at the local branch of your landlord's bank, not yours. Complete a deposit slip with his name, address, and account number. In the "For" section in the bottom left corner on the front of the rent check, add a concise, accurate description like "Jan 2013 Rent - 402 SW Main St" or "Cambridge Apt#666 - Jan15-Feb14 Rent". On the back of the rent check, clearly write "For deposit only" followed by your landlord's account number. Use a red pen, since it appears darker when copied, and leave room for the bank to add any other info in that section. The deposit receipt they give you is your proof of payment!
Ha, I remember when I told my LL about automatic billpay. Had to explain to them a few times I didn't need their stack of pre-written envelopes and that my check would be coming in an envelope from my bank on preset dates. Boggled there mind.
I looked into allowing tenants to pay by Paypal, but there were costs involved with getting the money out of the paypal account into my account, as well as the fact that a tenant can dispute a payment up to like 60 days back. So they could move out, get their deposit back and then dispute their last month or two of rent. Not even going to consider wading into that mess anymore. We don't accept credit cards for the same reasons. Fees, and the ability to dispute payment.
We do accept bank transfers, direct bank deposits, cash, checks, money orders. Most of my tenants pay with checks. Of those, probably 50% mail them in and 50% drop them off. So that means I have somewhere around 60 tenants mailing rent each month. Problems are very uncommon. In 10 years, I have never had a legitimate "check lost in the mail".
Bill pay but you have to make sure you set it up to be sent on time since you never can be sure when they will arrive since USPS is involved and the bank...
I, too, make my rent payments through my bank's Bill Pay check by mail. The funds are not withdrawn from my checking account until the check is actually deposited by the LandLord. Just by looking at my balance, I know if my rent has been received.
I authorize the rent payment around two weeks before the first of the month. Processing and mailing time takes one week. The LL deposits the check, and about three days later, I get an e-mail alert notification from my bank that the payment was complete. (The canceled check image on my bank account is my receipt).
Sometimes, the LL holds the check a few days until they can make their bank deposits all at once. If I don't get e-mail notified by the 1st of the month, I call the LL to ask if my rent has been received.
Rent is not paid until it is in the landlord's hand. So mailing date does you no good. If the post office loses your letter, sending by way of Nicaragua, and it does not get to the landlord for 2 months, the rent is late. It was not paid on the date you mailed it.
You can send a first class letter with delivery confirmation to show that it made it to the landlord's mailbox. There is no reason for your landlord to pretend that he did not receive your rent check. If he gets it, then all should be good.
It can be difficult to set up an automatic payment from a private account to another private account. Sometimes that is not an option. I get several rent checks by way of automatic bill pay, but they come in the mail and sometimes arrive late. You are still depending upon the post office to deliver the mail on time.
I have one tenant who drives to my bank and puts cash into my account. I opened an account just for him, so he is the only one making a deposit and I take the money out as soon as he puts it in. Perhaps OP's landlord would agree to that arrangement.
Absolutely no way on earth would I ever accept rent by credit card or PayPal.
I have 'vulture' LL, and $100 late fee on calendar day 3 - which I found is not really standard (duration or amount), but I don't want to do any arguing with them, nor incur the fee.
So, I mail mine USPS Priority with Tracking (no signature required on other end) - costs $5.95 - and it is delivered and I have record of delivery (via USPS.com) - Done.
I don't always use this; primarily when holidays, Sundays, are within my mailing/delivery 'window'. I made pre-printed envelopes and USPS has a small, clear front, priority envelope it fits into without addressing things twice. Standard delivery time is 2 days and with priority it has always been delivered in one day. (They are not too far away.)
I, too, make my rent payments through my bank's Bill Pay check by mail. The funds are not withdrawn from my checking account until the check is actually deposited by the LandLord. Just by looking at my balance, I know if my rent has been received.
Just so you know, this is not the way most banks do it. If yours does, they are the exception. Most banks withdraw the money from your account 2-3 days after mailing, whether the check has been deposited or not. That is why they offer free bill pay, because they get the use of the money from the day the money comes out of your account until the day the payee deposits the check.
We had one tenant who was scheduling a bill pay check be mailed on the 3rd of each month. It was not reaching the owner until the 12th, but the money was being withdrawn from their account on the 5th of each month, so they thought they were all good. When I called them about it, they got very belligerant, insisting that the owner was cashing the check on the 5th, until they checked with their bank and found out how it really works.
Just so you know, this is not the way most banks do it. If yours does, they are the exception. Most banks withdraw the money from your account 2-3 days after mailing, whether the check has been deposited or not. That is why they offer free bill pay, because they get the use of the money from the day the money comes out of your account until the day the payee deposits the check.
We had one tenant who was scheduling a bill pay check be mailed on the 3rd of each month. It was not reaching the owner until the 12th, but the money was being withdrawn from their account on the 5th of each month, so they thought they were all good. When I called them about it, they got very belligerant, insisting that the owner was cashing the check on the 5th, until they checked with their bank and found out how it really works.
I have two different checking accounts (major USA financial institutions). One withdraws money the way you described, but I don't use that one for Bill Pay anymore. I use the bank that withdraws funds only if the check is actually cashed (and it still takes a couple of days after that to deduct from my account). Every month when the check posts & funds are withdrawn, there is an immediate image of the check's front side & back (LandLord endorsement) available to view from my online checking account.
I figure that this particular bank purposely uses this accounting method to encourage customers overdraw their account. After all, many Americans don't balance their check books, ATM withdrawals, debit card purchases, and bill pay checks on a routine basis. So, when the check doesn't deduct until two weeks later.... many customers probably have spaced-out and BAM! are hit with bank overdraft fees$$.
I have two different checking accounts (major USA financial institutions). One withdraws money the way you described, but I don't use that one for Bill Pay anymore. I use the bank that withdraws funds only if the check is actually cashed (and it still takes a couple of days after that to deduct from my account). Every month when the check posts & funds are withdrawn, there is an immediate image of the check's front side & back (LandLord endorsement) available to view from my online checking account. ...
I'd like to know which bank this is. Mine deducts the money immediately on the day they supposedly mail the payment, so like a week before the payment is actually due and way before the payee gets the check or even deposits it.
Around here mailing the checks is the most common. We have never encountered a LL requesting direct deposit or Paypal. They are not open to give you their bank account number. Mine hasn't even wanted to give us their email address or cell phone. Everything has to be done by mail and phone. And for what is worth, we have never had a check lost in more than 10 years of mailing them.
To answer OP question, the post office has something called "Certificate of Mailing" From USPS site: "Certificate of Mailing
Have evidence that you sent the item* when you say you did. This official record shows the date your mail was accepted. Certificates of mailing furnish evidence of mailing only."
It cost $1.20 and it does require you to go to the post office. But it'll be the cheaper way for you to cover yourself. Since it's an official record you can prove you mailed the check when you were supposed to.
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