Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2015 · 42 posts · 8 votes
I inherited a tenant in a purchase recently. Previous landlord drove to the property to collect every month. I'd rather not do that, so I suggested paying online. It is an elderly tenant, and she said she "isn't good with that sort of thing." The lease i also inherited specifically says rent is paid in person, so I can't really say she has no choice. I was thinking I could try having her use a deposit only debit card to directly deposit the rent every month at the bank (since she is already going there to get the rent money), but I'd be concerned about her depositing only partial rent. In Ohio I can't evict if I have accepted partial rent. Is regular mail my only option if I don't want to go in person to collect (although technically that is still against the lease, since that is an option where the box is NOT checked)?
Mail her a rent statement with a return envelope, either pre-addressed or windowed. I started doing this before online payments became commonplace and my late payment issues all but disappeared. It's just another bill that comes in the mail to be paid that way.
Is it really such an imposition to go pick it up...as you say it was in the lease you inherited...I know this goes against the landlords who read too many Shades of Grey and advise training the tenant to serve you :)
@Lisa A. when I say post- dating, that means dating with a future date, like the future dates the rents are due.
So your tenants bank isn't honoring the checks they write when they are very out-of-sequence? Besides that, I have no idea how a bank would know if the check was written today or last year if it's got today's date on it.
We've been doing this for years with tenants who have accounts at all different banks with no issues. Got the idea from a friend with an apartment building who's been doing it for 20 years.
Deposite only debit cards?...! I just picked up new knowledge. That would be even easier than what I have now but similar. Going to check this out.
I have additional free accounts at our bank the tenants deposits into at the banks chain brick and mortar locations. I then transfer out with my phone when it clears.
Real question is has anyone figured out how to get auto-payments done with village water departments that are still stuck in 1920s.
@Lisa A. when I say post- dating, that means dating with a future date, like the future dates the rents are due.
So your tenants bank isn't honoring the checks they write when they are very out-of-sequence? Besides that, I have no idea how a bank would know if the check was written today or last year if it's got today's date on it.
I work for a bank, and you could bring in checks with future dates on them and my bank would cash (or attempt to cash them) them now. That is why I said it would not be a good idea. YMMV. Not sure about all banks, however.
One good thing about an elderly tenant like this is that she's set in her ways and probably won't move until she dies. You have a tenant for life. (Her life) One thing you could do to make it easy for both of you is open an account at her bank. she could transfer money from her account to yours. You could check it online and then write a check or use ATM to get your rent.
@Lisa A. ... I have no idea how a bank would know if the check was written today or last year if it's got today's date on it.
The point isn't when gyou (general you) wrote the check, but when they bring it to the bank or attempt to cash it. Basically it doesn't matter what date you put on a check at my bank. A landlord could take all the checks for rent this year and attempt to cash them all today. So don't assume a bank won't do that.
@Lisa A. so you're saying its a risk to the tenant that the landlord could attempt to cash the entire lease-terms checks. As the landlord, I have no plans to ever attempt to cash the entire lease-years checks.
@Lisa A. so you're saying its a risk to the tenant that the landlord could attempt to cash the entire lease-terms checks. As the landlord, I have no plans to ever attempt to cash the entire lease-years checks.
It's a risk to give anyone post-dated checks because of the possibility they could be cashed immediately.
I just wanted people to know that not all banks honor the post-dating system that used to be used a lot, and not to depend on that for knowing when the check can be cashed.