Late Rent Notice: How Small Landlords Can Document and Send One
When rent doesn't arrive on time, a short written notice tells the tenant exactly what is owed and by when, and gives you a dated record. Keeping it calm and factual makes it easier to sort out, and your rent ledger shows the full history if questions come up later.
Check the lease and the law first
- Your lease: read what it says about the due date, any grace period, late fees and how notices are delivered.
- Local rules: grace periods, late fee limits, required wording, notice periods and delivery methods vary by state and city, and they change. Formal legal notices have their own requirements. Check your state and local law, or ask a qualified attorney, before you send anything.
Good starting points: HUD's State Information pages, USAGov's list of state attorneys general, and USAGov's page on how to file a complaint against a landlord, which also points to state tenant resources.
Check your records before you send
- Confirm in your rent ledger that the payment really hasn't arrived, including partial payments.
- Check every way the tenant might have paid.
- Note the rent period, the due date and the amount still owed.
A rent roll makes this check quick: see how to compare expected and collected rent.
What to include
- Date of the notice
- Tenant name(s), property address and unit
- The rent period and the date rent was due
- Rent due, any late fee your lease allows (with the lease section), other charges, and payments already received
- The total now due, the date to pay by and how to pay
- What to do if they have already paid
- How to reach you if they are having trouble paying
- Your signature and the date
Tone
Keep it short, polite and factual. State the amount and the date, and invite the tenant to contact you. Avoid anything that reads as a threat, and handle every tenant's late payment the same way.
Delivery and proof
- Use the delivery method your lease and local law require.
- Keep a copy of the notice, and note the date and how you delivered it.
- Keep any delivery receipt or written reply.
- Record payments in your rent ledger when they arrive.
Example late rent notice
Example only. The names are fictional, the details are placeholders, and the wording may not meet your state or city's requirements. It is a friendly reminder, not a formal legal notice.
Dear Jordan Sample,
Our records show that rent for [rent period] at [property address, unit] was due on [due date] and has not been received in full.
Rent due: $[amount]
Late fee (per lease, section [#]): $[amount]
Payments received: $[amount]
Total now due: $[amount]
Please pay the total by [date] using [payment method]. If you have already paid, please send a copy of your payment confirmation. If you are having difficulty paying, please contact me at [phone or email] so we can talk.
Sincerely,
Alex Example
[Landlord name / company]
[Signature]
A printable late rent notice
The Late Rent Notice form in the Small Landlord Kit PRO is a one-page "Notice of Late Rent" with fields for the date, tenant, property and unit, rent period and due date; lines for rent due, late fee (per lease section), other charges, payments received and total now due; a pay-by date and payment method; and a landlord signature line. The form describes itself as a friendly reminder, not a formal legal notice. It comes in US Letter and A4.
Related: how to keep a rent ledger and how to write a rent increase letter.
Not legal advice. This is general information. Grace periods, late fee limits, notice requirements and delivery methods vary by state and city and change over time. Check your lease and your state and local law, or ask a qualified attorney.
The Late Rent Notice is also in the Landlord Complete Bundle ($34).