I used these 2 words in my last post and it sort of back-fired on me. To me, chasing rents is anytime I have to leave my home office and go post a 7-day P/Q notice on a tenant's door. Last year, I did quite a few of these and most of the tenants got the message and paid their rent with late fees. The ones that did not get the 'message' got evicted.

What is your definition of chasing rents? If you send late payers a Text each month to remind them to pay rent,...isn't that 'chasing rents' ?

I don't collect rents in person and I don't post 7 day pay or quit notices in person (I mail them at PO with certificate of mailing).

I do chase rents in person for some of my "C" class properties.

My Class "C" properties consist of some immigrants, non highly educated families living from hand to mouth in the melting pot of Los Angeles. You must know that many of my "finds" were poorly managed apartment properties run my small mom and pop landlords that got over out of control due to "city" restrictions, rent control and "free legal defense firms working on behalf of tenants "rights". Allowing the tenant go bankrupted so the landlord has trouble evicting and the tenant can live months for free!

My "B" and "A" properties has set up direct payments into my buildings bank accounts as one of my preferred methods.

Robert J,

To get that check on the kitchen table, do you get permission to enter or do you just walk in using your master pass key? How does this work ?

Roy I never posted "I Don't go after/for rent". I never say chasing-- that would be a loser. So each day is $8.00 a day in late and each attempt is 25.00 pick up fee. We also have court fee's 60.00 and if tenant answers extra 100. Fee for that. This year our take on those was $10K extra.

I have never personally collected rents because for several years we were long-distance landlords. And I didn't want to time my travel down here or having to stay at home to wait for checks, so from the very beginning I have had my tenants deposit rent into our bank account.

And as I've said before, more and more are using Zelle or some other electronic payment option these days, but the few unbanked people I have left go buy Money Orders and deposit those into the rent account (bank won't accept cash any more.)

Myob,

If rent is paid late, I am compensated with late fees.

David,

David,

My rental agreement has a $50 fee for each 3 Day Pay or Quit notice. You can download a copy at the w w w .evict123.com

To me, the whole landlord bizness is ‘chasing rents’. Rents being the point of our business.

How much effort depends on many , many variables. Some landlords quickly turn to the court system to ‘chase rents’ , some landlords use high late fees and threat of court systems , and get good success with that. Some landlords ‘ work with’ their tenants, and get good success with that. The key, to my wee little brain, is to know thyself, know what is in your wheelhouse of KSAs, that is, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities.

There isn’t a magic secret formula that can be revealed if only the question is asked correctly of the inter webs..

Roy and David --- Roy loser is meant as it's lost time. No not that your a loser. With the number of people late you'd spend toooo much time tracking them.

David the 100 if they answer is to cover the possible cost of my mouth piece. When a tenant answers the court- WE never represent ourselves. We let the judges buddy atty's do that.

Tenants pay rent at my bank, and Missouri doesn't require me to post Pay or Quit. I sent one text, "Rent?" If no response/no money, I file on Day 8.

" judges just don't allow it." Doesn't matter what the judge will allow. If the tenant pays it without complaining, who's going to do anything? Moreover, my $20 a day only kicks in after a five day grace period. I would be happy to remove grace period, rent due on 1st and $10 per day.

should I have to file court eviction, I would remove late fees and just keep the rent.

David when I tell someone they owe in a notice-- that same amount is posted to the dispo. I don't need a smart tenant telling the judge-- "well judge"! he said I owed this originally and I disputed that amount. As you can see judge he's removed that now.

Myob,

It's no trick. I don't have a zero tolerance policy. I bill and collect past due money first. I go to court and FILE quickly AND make sure all the fee's are in the court filing. I try to do "consents" prior to court date (outside of hearing date) to avoid lawyer fee payout.

Most tenants have bad pay habits. Can we agree on that? So when negotiating why not drop the debt to half of what they owe with the stipulation that should they miss a payment the WHOLE debt and interest will become due. No need to go back to court either if they reneg-- because they have already (at first hearing) agreed to your generous terms.