Tenant is eligible for a $20 discount if they pay rent on time.

This has been our standard lease policy for many years now.

So they move in, and paid rent ontime for several months.

Then this month, they finally paid late.

But strangely they only paid $10 less than the discounted rent. Even though they of course, did not pay rent on time, and can clearly see the amount on the lease, which they have a copy of.

Believe it or not, I've never had a tenant do this before, and I've been at this for quite a few years now.

So they owe $30, because they didn't complete rent.

I messaged them saying please deposit the unpaid balance, if you can do it before a notice is mailed out, you can avoid any additional fees.

They refused.

No payment.

Okay.

So what are our options here?

It seems the only card landlords have is the 5 Day Notice, which basically says their rights of possession can be taken back if they do not make rent as agreed in the lease, and a motion filed in court for damages, and on.

So I mailed the 5 Day Notice, and added "Incomplete Rent" to the title.

I put in the notice there is no late fee if she deposits the missing $30 by the 9th. Otherwise there will be a late fee of $20, and tenant will owe $50.

Fair enough, right. Literally following the lease.

So what if she doesn't pay, still.

Send her a move out notice over $30?

I don't know what else that can be done.

If she gets away with paying less rent, it will happen every month.

Not to mention the other tenants may start doing it too.

Sorry, nobody is letting me pay less for my mortgage, property tax or insurance. Or anything else.

???????

I do not understand the discount if they do what they are supposed to do anyhow. You have been doing it for years so does that mean you left money on the table or that you raised the rent ahead of time to allow for the discount?

For me if it is a good tenant I will give them the option to pay the rest and not get a late fee. But I do not give them days or weeks to do it, and never if it becomes a habit with them.

If she refused to settle up after you first inquired then she is late on rents and extra fees are charged.

I don't see any option except to carry through with the eviction proceedings,.

Tenant is acting strangely.

First I messaged the tenants on the 1st who hadn't paid rent, saying anyone wanting to qualify for the discount needs to have it in before bank close today.

This is the same procedure we've done for years. The standard copy paste message.

But she replies: "The bank is closed? then I guess I'll have to pay rent first thing in the morning!"

OK.

I texted back, and said no sorry for any confusion. The banks are open, all three branches and gave the phone number.

But the 1st went by, and still no rent from her.

I then called her that evening, to see what was going on.

She told me the people upstairs brought in roaches! She's seen them coming down to her apartment. However, they've been moving furniture late at night, the past several nights, dragging it across the floors.

They're vacating secretly she says, found a new place. The lazy do-nothing son got approved for disability, she claims, and they're off to a bigger place.

Well that certainly was disturbing news. I then asked, "And what about your rent?" "OH yes I'll pay it tomorrow."

As far as the roaches, I say, "Well at least we can spray after they have moved out."

"I'm going to keep my cats at a friends house until then" she replies.

Apparently, to be safe from the roaches? Who knows.

The next morning I wake up and it hits me: DRAGGING ACROSS THE FLOOR.

If they're moving out upstairs..... are they destroying the wood floors? Ruining the carpets? This could cost hundreds, thousands in damage. What could be making all that scraping noise reported?

So I immediately go out to the building that morning. I go upstairs and tell them I was sent to get pictures of the floors, because one of the tenants had complained about scraping noises.

Go on in, says the old lady renting with her do-nothing son upstairs. She could care less.

I go in- and the place is FULL of furniture. Not a single thing moved out. In fact, it looks more full of junk than ever.

They most definitely, were not moving out.

Why did the downstairs tenant lie? Who knows.

I asked the old lady about the scraping. Oh thats my son moving his chair at night, he is restless and can't sleep.

OK.

The woman downstairs with the cats, then pays her rent the following day, but she pays $30 short.

I then texted her and recognized the short on rent, said please complete the rent before a notice is mailed.

She didn't.

I then mailed the Incomplete Rent notice.

That's where we're at now.

At this point I feel as if Cat Woman is losing her mind. Or is this a scheme to get kicked off the lease? If so, why pay rent at all.

Your guess is as good as mine.

So... you left out the Roaches... did you see any?

The tenant downstairs may be just assuming that they are moving out because she's seeing furniture but instead of being brought OUT ... it's coming IN? Or the fact that if it's late at night and the son is moving his chair making noises, she's probably getting woken up and thinking they are moving out.

I can't really tell by what you wrote... you just said so I'm not sure if it's full of MORE furniture or just doesn't appear to be moving anything out.

I'm so confused. Is this right?

Their real rent is $1000. If they pay before the 1st, they get a $20 discount and pay $980.

This time they paid $970. So they owe $30. Plus now, late fees. Depending on state, that's a percentage of the FULL $1000 rent (let's say 10% or $100) or on the $30 ($3.)

Bad system. Rent is rent is rent. No discounts just for doing what they are supposed to do.

Ditto, WMH.

Weirdness is weirdness. I don't know what's going on with her specifically.

But from a practices POV-- I discovered that it was easier to just go flat-rate rather than manipulating rent. Maybe people from a higher socioeconomic background can handle variables, but mine struggle.

For example, I have an employer who gives a $300/month relocation allowance paid directly to the landlord for the first six months after one of their employees relocates from another town to work for them. Pretty much 100% of them are gone the moment the allowance expires--- I can't think of any who have lasted a full year--- because they get in the habit of thinking their house is not worth $x, but is worth $x - $300. I even had one rocket scientist-- I visited him on a service call, and noticed that (a) he was leaving his food out, and (b) he had three enormous roaches taped to the fridge. When I mentioned it, he said, "Yeah, I was going to tell you, I had roaches running over my daughter's face when she was lying in bed." I gently connected the dots for him and suggested perhaps he didn't leave food lying around, and perhaps he sprays. And the answer was essentially--- well, he wasn't going to actually do anything about it; he wasn't planning on staying here for longer than his first six months, so why bother?

We had a landlord in my county (dead now) that did that. Discount if paid by 1st. I get it really, if they pay by the 1st it helps you know whats going on. You can give proper notice yourself if need be.

I am lucky that we do not have a grace period. I know one guy that gives a 5 day grace, and nearly all his tenants use it, every single month.

For me if they are due on the 1st my lease states I can start proceedings on the second if I choose to.

My weekly payer texted me yesterday. She started off by asking if she could pay her half next week and her mother would pay half this week. They live together.

Sure but you will get hit with a 10% late fee. Only on my half tho, right? Umm, there is no half rent. If you are late it is all the rent.

Oh, can we start paying every other week so it matches my paycheck? Sure thing, but you still owe rent for today.

My mom will pay it all and I will pay it all next week.