Do you ever feel like your tenants would be more likely to pay rent on time if you were to send them a bill every month rather than waiting for them to pay? You wouldn’t be alone in that thought; there are many landlords who believe that billing for rent each month would be more effective than waiting for a payment that might not come.
Still, that is not an accepted practice in the rental world. Instead, you can consider sending out a friendly rent reminder before rent is due. This reminder does just that: remind the tenants of when rent is due.
Is using this friendly reminder to pay rent a good idea for your business? For some people yes; for others, no. Let’s find out if this is going to be a good fit with your tenants and properties by learning more about rent reminders.
A Table Of Contents: Friendly Rent Reminder
- What Is A Rent Reminder?
- When To Send A Friendly Rent Reminder
- How To Write A Rent Reminder Notice
- Pros And Cons Of Rent Reminder Letters
- FAQs: Rent Reminder Notices
What Is A Rent Reminder?
A rent reminder is a letter or notice that is sent out to tenants either before their rent is due or after their rent is late. The point of this letter is to gently remind tenants that they need to pay rent without including any type of threat of consequences.
In many cases, landlords consider sending these letters out before rent is actually due to remind tenants of the upcoming payment. Friendly rent reminders sent before the due date is a gentle and friendly way to keep things on schedule, but not all tenants will be open to this.
Sometimes, landlords choose to only send out rent reminders when rent is a day or two late and they have not yet heard from the tenant. This type of friendly reminder is more serious than the previous, but it is still a gentle way to get rent without beginning the eviction process.
When To Send A Friendly Rent Reminder
As mentioned, rent reminder notices can be sent before or after rent is due, and deciding when to send such a notice will depend on your goals.
Before Rent Is Due
Some landlords prefer to send tenants a reminder notice a few days before rent is due to remind them of the upcoming payment. This is a simple and friendly way to stay in close communication with your tenant while also ensuring they don’t forget about the due date.
With this type of communication, however, it is important that you do not send this letter unless your tenant is open to this communication. Some tenants may find this type of reminder to be annoying, threatening, or unnecessary, so you should discuss it with the tenant first.
If you find that you want to regularly use this type of reminder, consider adding a section to your lease agreement where your tenant can either accept or deny receiving this notice monthly.
When Rent Is Late
Other landlords only use this type of rent reminder letter whenever rent is late. The reminder should be delivered as soon as possible after rent is officially late. This letter will give tenants a gentle reminder that they forgot to pay rent, and it will open communication lines to paying rent if they have an obstacle preventing payment.
It’s important to remember that this letter is not a replacement for a nonpayment of rent notice. The nonpayment of rent notice, also known as a pay-or-quit notice, is the first step of the eviction process.
While both notices are geared towards pushing the tenant to pay rent, the tone and sentiment of each notice is different. The pay-or-quit notice informs the tenants of the consequences and upcoming eviction if they do not pay while the friendly rent reminder is simply that: a reminder.
How To Write A Rent Reminder Notice
When you want to put together your own friendly notice to remind tenants about rent, what exactly should you write in the letter?
You can take some liberties with this depending on your business style and your personal preferences, but it is best to keep the letter short, sweet, and personable. Following this list should help you write up your own letter:
- Let the tenant know what day the rent is due and how much is owed.
- Remind the tenant of how they can pay rent; i.e., which payment methods are accepted.
- Ask the tenant to contact you if there are going to be any delays as soon as possible so you can work on a solution together.
- Do not include any references to evictions or late fees; keep it friendly and personable.
Sounds pretty easy, right? That’s because it is!
You want to keep the letter short and sweet. You aren’t trying to convey any deep meanings here or really anything new. You just want to make sure the tenant is aware of the upcoming due date, and that you are all on the same page.
Pros And Cons Of Rent Reminder Letters
Using rent reminder letters might seem like a great idea, but they aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution to getting on-time rent payments. Before you decide to implement this type of reminder, consider the following pros and cons. These notices aren’t the right fit for every situation.
Pros
- Helps keep you and tenant in regular, monthly contact
- Gives tenants a gentle, friendly reminder
- Prevents genuine forgetfulness from tenants
- May improve on-time payment record
- Easy to do
Cons
- Tenants may find it rude
- Tenants may not want to receive letters, texts, or emails
- Extra work each month
- Isn’t guaranteed to prevent missed or late payments
- Can make tenants nervous that they did something wrong even if they didn’t
FAQs: Rent Reminder Notices
Should You Send A Friendly Rent Reminder Before Rent Is Due?
Ultimately, the decision about whether or not you should use friendly rent reminders is up to you. You should only send these letters before rent is due if the tenant has agreed to receiving extra communication or is open to this type of notice. Otherwise, this might be seen as threatening or stressful to the tenant.
How Do You Politely Remind Someone To Pay Rent?
If someone is late on paying their rent, you may be looking for a quick and easy way to remind them without threatening eviction. Usually, sending a simple rent reminder letter, email, or even making a phone call is the right choice. By quickly connecting with the tenant, you can find out if and when they intend to pay their rent.
How Do You Send A Friendly Text Rent Reminder?
Sending a text reminder should only be done if the tenant has agreed to receive text communication from you or your property management company. If they have agreed to receive this, you can send out a short text that says something like: This is a reminder that your rent is due on the first of the month. Please contact us with any problems or concerns.
Should You Send A Rent Reminder By Email Or Snail Mail?
When you sign a lease agreement with your tenant, you should include a section where the tenant can determine how they want to receive all official and important communication. Send the rent reminder according to that agreement.
If you do not have such an agreement in place, you should send the reminder by both email and snail mail to ensure they receive the letter. Finally, you should also keep a copy of any and all communication you send to your tenant in case you need proof of that communication later on.
How Do You Handle Late Rent?
If a tenant has not paid rent yet and you have already sent out a rent reminder, it is time to move onto a more serious reminder that they need to pay rent. It is time to send out a nonpayment of rent notice.
The nonpayment of rent notice is the first step of the eviction process. Unlike a friendly reminder, which simply reminds the tenant to pay, the nonpayment of rent notice details what money is owed, how much of a late fee applies, and what will happen next if the tenant does not pay.
After receiving a nonpayment of rent notice, tenants have a specific amount of time to reply or pay according to the state’s laws. If they do not pay, you can then move forward with filing an eviction case. Read more about the nonpayment eviction process here.
You Can Only Do So Much
There are many creative ways to ask your tenant to pay rent and to help them make on time payments, but ultimately, it is up to them to follow through. Sending things like friendly rent reminders, late rent reminders, and nonpayment of rent notices are going to remind your tenant to pay, but these notices don’t guarantee anything.
For that reason, it is very important to pay close attention to when things are being paid and what notices you are sending out. Acting quickly when a tenant seems to be falling behind on rent is key to ensure you do not lose too much money on the process.
Be prepared to pursue rent and eviction for nonpayment of rent as quickly as possible to protect your investments.