Property Management
Tenants Who Don't Pay Rent On Time
By Al Tamura

In a discussion in the Property Management Committee at the Board of Realtors the question of how to deal with late paying tenants arose.  In attendance were approximately 50 property managers, many of whom were very experienced in this field.

Q.  My tenants continually pay rent late.  How do I get the tenants to pay on time?

A.  Tenants are adults who enter into a contract to lease or rent a property.  In the contract the tenant signed that he/she understood the contents of the lease and agreed to abide by the rules set forth.  The rules are that the rent payment is due on the FIRST day of the month.  He is deemed a late payer on the SECOND day.  Late fees are now owed. 

Q.  When can I issue the eviction papers?

A.  Rent is late on the second day of the month at RE/Sys and a 5 Day Pay or Quit Notice can be served any time after the first day.

Q.  What do I do about the "grace period" allotted by the lease?

A.  The rent is late after the first day of the month.  The eviction process can be started any time after the first regardless of the grace period.  The grace period refers to the onset of the late fees, not the rent.

Q.  What happens if the tenant "bounces" a rent check?

A.  If a tenant "bounces" a personal check for the rent, Repayment immediately is required.  If the tenant does not replace the check then the evictio process begins immediately.  If the tenant repays the bad check they will also bear the cost of the eviction and legal fees.  No personal checks are accepted again during the tenancy, only cashiers checks and money orders are accepted.  If the bad check continues to go unpaid the check is delivered to the Clark County District Attorneys office.  There the office will pursue the offender and if unpaid the bad check payer will be liable for a Class D Felony charge.  Needless to say, we get quite a few bad checks repaid once the DA's office is involved.