As far as my understanding of laws here in VT (or at least in Burlington, VT), a landlord cannot collect a late fee unless he/she can show that he/she incurred expenses due to the rent being late. I believe that all of my apartments have had late fees written in to their leases, and I admit that I have been late with rent a number of times in the four or five years I’ve been a renter, and I haven’t had a single landlord even ask for a late fee.
Really, I’ve been in Madison for 8 years now, and I seem to recall leases with late fees charged after 5 days.
Ever see Pacific Heights?
I just want to make sure everyone understands how much these late fees really are.
Please forgive the repetition.
Rent: $661
Late fee on 2nd of month: $75
Cumulative late fee on 12th of month: $175 ($75 for day one, ten days at $10 each)
Cumulative late fee on 22nd of month: $275
Cumulative late fee on 31st of month: $365 (55% of the monthly rent).
Well, Gfactor what is the housing situation like where you live?
Is it a growing suburb or a semi-rural area that more people are finding and moving to? Those areas usually have a small captive market and high rent/late fees.
I find the late fees you describe to be high, but what is the average income in the area? It could be in line with the market, especiall if the complex is trying to become more upscale.
Demographics:
Where do you live? - About 20 miles east of Columbus Ohio
Do you rent or own? - Currently rent , buying soon
What is your occupation? - Contractor- mostly interior finishing
What is your age? - 30
What is your gender? - Male
Thanks, Sub. It’s actually not where I live, but where a friend lives.
Thanks again.
FARMINGTON
Population 10,423
High school grad 91.6%
College Degree 47.9%
Pct w/2+ vehicles 51.0%
Foreign born 15.1%
Married 57.6%
Never Married 21.9%
Grandparents in household with young children 1.1%
Moved since 1995 43.6%
Avg. commute 2000 23.7 minutes
Avg. commute 1990 22.1 minutes
Median household income 2000 $56,442
Median household income 1990 $53,264
Pct. in poverty 2000 3.3%
Pct. In poverty 1990 3.6%
Med. Home value 2000 $173,390
Median Home value 1990 $136,645
Median Rent 2000 $734
Median Rent 1990 $778
From The Detroit News
The Farmington website does not show a source for their reported data. This data comes from the 2000 Census.
Ah, I’ve solved my own problem:
Farmington used the highest reported median income figure from the census data
The news reported the base figure. I’m not sure it matters.
Ok, correction. I was mistaken. There is a $150 per month cap on late fees. So once the late fees reach $150 for a given month, they stop accruing.
1. Do you find the late fee to be reasonable?
No. I’ve never lived in a rental where there wasn’t a 5-day grace period.
2. Where do you live?
North Carolina
3. Do you rent or own?
Own (it’s more like the bank owns me), but I rented for a number of years.
4. What is your occupation?
I work in a museum.
5. What is your age?
25
6. What is your gender?
Female
I can understand needing the rent to be paid on time, but landlords need to be reasonable. I once had my landlord try to charge me because the rent (due on the 1st) was a week late. However, it was post-marked the 28th of the previous month. Their dumb-ass mailman had screwed up and hadn’t delivered any of their mail for several days. Don’t try to make me pay for someone else’s incompetence.
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I find it rather high, but not unreasonable, especially if it’s right there, up-front in the lease and the tenant knowingly and willingly agrees to it. It’s certainly as reasonable as a credit card company charging a $30 late fee when a $20 payment is a day late.
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North Carolina
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Own
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Veterinary technician
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28
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Female
- Do you find the late fee to be reasonable?
God no - Where do you live?
Austin, TX - Do you rent or own?
rent - What is your occupation?
student - What is your age?
18-25 - What is your gender?
male
- Do you find the late fee to be reasonable?
I find it to be offensive. Having lived in, ohh, about a dozen different rentals, I’ve never once encountered a fee for late rent. However, only one of said apts was run by a management company (you know where you don’t actually write you landlords name on the check), but they still let me slide from time to time.
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Where do you live?
My experience is based on Boston, Dublin, and Madrid. -
Do you rent or own?
Rent. -
What is your occupation?
Underemployed. -
What is your age?
-
What is your gender?
Male
- Excessive. I didn’t charge one when I was a landlord.
- Sydney
- rent
- data analyst
- 50
- male
Thanks for your help folks!!!
I’m in New Jersey, and I work in property management, including handling rental properties. We charge 5% of the rent after the fifth of the month. No exceptions. After the 10th, we file for eviction.
I’m curious, Annie. Is New Jersey a pay-and-stay state? In Michigan, the landlord files for eviction, and gets a judgment that says that if the tenant does not pay the back rent, the tenant will be evicted. If the tenant pays, the landlord has to start all over next time the tenant is late. Your procedure would be very expensive for landlords here because awards of costs and attorneys’ fees are very limited in these cases.
Yep! Sometimes we have to take people to court three or four times to get them out. But the court fee is only $29, so it’s okay. We don’t use attorneys for routine evictions, and only charge landlords $50 for the whole thing.
Good deal. In Ohio and Michigan you could only do that under very limited circumstances because corporations cannot represent themselves in court–they must use an attorney. Kinda increases the costs for everyone. But it makes lawyers some money.
Did you read the conditions of the lease, damage clause, late payment clause, eviction clause, etc. etc.?
Ah! How soon we forget these little insignifigant details.
All too may leases are dead beats looking for a free or cheap ride. (Not an accusation about you, just a generalization.)
No cause to cry, no ones fault but yours.
Suck it up, pay up pronto, and take the lesson to heart.
when I leased an apartment a few years ago I recall there was some sort of a late fee, but I do not remember how much it was. But I do know that in my apartment complex (in Las Vegas near UNLV) if your rent was more than 3 days late you would get an eviction notice. My apatment was above the office and I owuld sometimes hear “evicted” tennets arguing with the manager. I was never late with my rent (thank you student loans :rolleyes: ) so I never had to deal with late rent issues.