{"id":1484,"date":"2023-08-29T14:31:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T18:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.openigloo.com\/?p=1484"},"modified":"2023-08-29T15:25:19","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T19:25:19","slug":"5-things-to-do-if-youre-late-or-cant-pay-rent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.openigloo.com\/5-things-to-do-if-youre-late-or-cant-pay-rent\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things To Do If You\u2019re Late or Can\u2019t Pay Rent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As rents continue to rise across the country, making full and timely payments can be challenging. Life happens, and certain circumstances may impact your ability to pay. Maybe a roommate left, or you lost your job, or had an unexpected expense. If you find yourself in a situation where you can\u2019t pay rent in full or on time, here are a few things you should do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many cities have laws and regulations<\/span><\/a> about late rent payments and fees. In New York City, for example, the maximum late fee a landlord can charge is $50 or 5% of the rent<\/a><\/span> – whichever is less. In places without regulations, you\u2019ll want to reference your lease agreement and figure out how the landlord handles late payments. If the policy is straightforward, at least you can determine what the penalties should be and make sure they are being followed by management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can be intimidating for many renters, especially if your relationship with your landlord is tense. But communication is the best policy, and it allows the landlord to plan and be in the know about when they can expect payment. You could also work with them on some sort of payment plan or temporary reduction. On openigloo, renters have shared reviews about their interactions with landlords about late payments. Renters shared how their landlords were flexible about reduced or deferred payments due to economic stress, especially during the pandemic. The bottom line is, don\u2019t keep your landlord in the dark – they can\u2019t accommodate or be helpful if they don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening. Here are some email templates to help get the conversation started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hi XYZ, Life happens. You may no longer be able to afford your apartment. This may require you to reflect on your income and expenses and make reductions where possible. A standard rule of thumb is that you shouldn\u2019t spend more than 30% of your salary on rent. Of course, in high-rent cities like New York<\/a><\/span>, this can be a challenge. Do some budgeting and come up with a new number of what you can reasonably afford to rent. Start researching other housing options and communicate this to your landlord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Communicate with your landlord right away.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When rent is late, but you\u2019ll be able to make full payment later:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to let you know that unfortunately my rent payment will be delayed this month. {put a reason for the delay: i.e. I had a reduction in hours at work, there was a delayed paycheck from my boss, my roommate has left etc.}.
I will be able to complete the payment by {month, day.}. In the meantime, I\u2019ve made a partial payment of $xxx and understand there is a late fee of $XXXX<\/em>.
Thanks for your understanding and apologies for the inconvenience.
Best,
Renter<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Revise Your Budget.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n