Rent day...here's the playbook I've built

[Parris Taylor]

Most landlords think rent problems start when tenants stop paying. They don’t. They start the moment you accept rent without structure.

Here’s how we can flip control overnight:

Track behavior, not stories. Most software stops at “rent received.” You need data that exposes behavior.
Late once is a blip. Late twice is a signal. Late three times is culture.

Example: Create a simple tracker: Tenant | Due Date | Paid Date | Days Late | Comments.
Highlight anyone with 2+ late cycles. Within 60 days, you’ll know exactly who’s dependable.

Incentives outperform penalties. Tie rent to credit reporting. On-time payments raise scores; late ones hurt. When rent helps build credit, tenants pay early. (Most rent-reporting tools like Esusu, Boom, or Rent App require a unit minimum or tenant opt-in with a small fee.)

Example: Add a lease line: “Tenants may opt in to rent-reporting to build credit history.” It’s positive pressure that costs you nothing.

Professional distance is leverage. If tenants text your personal number, you’ve already lost authority. Route everything through one neutral number. Systems enforce respect better than reminders.

Example: Set up a Google Voice or Twilio number for rent, repair, and notice communication. You’ll 2x compliance and cut stress in half.

Build operational liquidity. When rent hits, it should already have a destination. Create a reserve account for CapEx and vacancies. Liquidity is leverage.

Example: Auto-transfer 10% (or insert your #) of rent into “Property Reserves.” At $2k/month, that’s $200/month or $2.4k/year, which is your stress buffer.

Escalate through structure, not emotion. Emotion kills consistency. Systems don’t care. Second late payment: fee. Third: notice. Same wording, same timing, every time. (Follow your local grace periods - consistency matters more than speed.)

Example: Save late-fee and notice templates in Google Docs. Send them word-for-word each time.

You don’t need more software. You need structure.
That’s how small landlords stop chasing and start running real systems.

Happy to swap notes on what’s working for your rent collection setup. Cheers!