Free Late Rent Notice Template (PDF)

Late rent notice

A polite, written reminder that rent is past due: what is owed, the late fee the lease sets, how to pay, and who to call. Most late rent is a forgotten date or a tight week, and a clear notice sent the day after the grace period ends gets most of it paid.

This is not a pay-or-quit or eviction notice.

It is a reminder. A notice that can end a tenancy for unpaid rent is set by state law, often with required wording, a set number of days and a required way of delivering it. Use your state's own form for that, and talk to a local attorney before you start an eviction.

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Every step of this notice, done for you.

Cross out the paper. Here is what RentCaddie does instead, from the reminder before rent is due to the late fee coming off.

1On paper: ~~Remind them before rent is due~~
In RentCaddie: Three days before rent is due, each resident gets a reminder by email and on their resident page.
2On paper: ~~Check who has not paid~~
In RentCaddie: Rent that is not paid on time shows as past due on the resident's ledger, without you checking.
3On paper: ~~Work out the late fee~~
In RentCaddie: The late fee comes from the resident's own signed lease, after the grace period that lease gives. A lease with no late fee is never charged one.
4On paper: ~~Write the late notice~~
In RentCaddie: The night a late fee is added, the resident is emailed and told on their resident page, the same day.
5On paper: ~~Add the fee to what they owe~~
In RentCaddie: The fee lands on their ledger by itself, once for each time the lease says it is earned, and never twice.
6On paper: ~~Take it back if it was a mistake~~
In RentCaddie: Waive a fee and pick the reason, and the resident's late-fee notice is taken back too.

A resident's ledger on a phone in RentCaddie: rent past due and the late fee from their lease already added, with what they owe. — The late fee adds itself the night it is earned.

Waiving a late fee in RentCaddie: the fee picked, a reason chosen, and the button to waive it. — Waive a fee in two taps, with a reason kept.

A payment already on its way that covers the rent holds the late fee off. Record a payment dated before a fee was earned and that fee comes off by itself.

Changing a late fee later never re-prices days already charged. Late-fee emails have their own switch, if you would rather send your own.

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What is on the form

The property, the unit or room, the residents and the date of the notice

A friendly opening that assumes a missed date, not bad faith

A table of what is past due: each charge, its due date, what was paid and what is still owed

The late fee the lease sets, the grace period and the day rent counted as late

A line pointing at the lease section the late fee comes from

How to pay: online, check or money order, in person, or another way the lease allows

What to do if they have already paid or think a figure is wrong

A line asking them to call before the pay-by date if they are struggling

A delivery record: hand delivered, posted, mailed or emailed, with the date

A reminder, not a threat

Most residents who pay late are not refusing to pay. They forgot the date, a paycheck landed a day after rent, or a bank transfer is still in flight. A calm, specific notice gets that rent paid faster than an angry text, and it keeps the relationship you will need for the rest of the lease.

Specific is the important word. Say exactly what is owed, for which month, what the late fee is and which part of the lease it comes from, and how to pay today. A resident who can see the numbers line up has nothing to argue about, and a resident who has already paid can tell you so before anyone is upset.

Send it the day after the grace period ends, not weeks later
List every charge with its due date and what is still owed
Name the lease section the late fee comes from
Give one clear way to pay, and one person to call

Charge only the late fee the lease sets

A late fee is a term of the lease. If the signed lease does not set one, there is no late fee to charge, however late the rent is. If it does, charge exactly what it says, after exactly the grace period it gives, and nothing a different lease in the same house says.

State law sits on top of the lease. Some states cap a late fee at a set amount or a share of the rent, some require a minimum number of days before any fee can be charged, and some limit a fee that keeps growing each day. A fee the lease allows can still be one your state does not. Check your state's rule before you fill in the figures.

This is not an eviction notice

A notice to pay rent or leave, often called a pay-or-quit notice, is a legal step toward ending a tenancy. In most states it has required wording, a set number of days, and a required way of delivering it, and a mistake in any of them can restart the clock. This reminder is not that notice and is not written to be one.

If rent stays unpaid after a reminder, look up your own state's notice requirements and use the form your state or court provides, or talk to a local attorney. Keep a copy of this reminder and its delivery record either way: it shows you asked politely first and gave the resident a fair chance to pay.

Common questions

When is rent officially late?

When the lease says it is. Rent is usually late the day after it is due, unless the lease gives a grace period, and some states require a grace period before any late fee can be charged. Read the lease first, then check your state's rule, and use whichever gives the resident more time.

How much can I charge as a late fee?

Only what the signed lease sets, and only within your state's limits. Some states cap the fee at a dollar amount or a share of the monthly rent, others only require that it be reasonable. There is no single national figure, so look up the rule where the property is before you fill in the blank.

Can I send a late rent notice by text or email?

For a friendly reminder like this one, usually yes, and many leases say email notices count. Whatever method you use, record it in the delivery block on the day you send it. A formal notice to pay or leave is different: many states require it to be delivered a particular way.

What if the resident says they already paid?

Ask for the date and the method, then check before you do anything else. Payments sent by bank transfer can take a few days to arrive. If the payment was made on time, take the late fee off and tell them, in writing, that it is gone.

This form is a general-purpose starting point, not legal advice and not written for any particular state. Landlord and tenant law varies by state and often by city. Check your own state's requirements, and have an attorney review anything you plan to rely on in a dispute.