Insufficient Rent Payment

[Mary Ann Casey]

I have a tenant who has paid insufficient rental payments for a few months in a row (rather than the $1,900 rental payment due, he pays $1,800). The remaining and late $100 is paid very late in the month. For the September rent due, it's October 1, and I still haven't received the $100 past due despite many phone calls with apologies and promises, messages, and texts. October's rent is due in a few days, and I suspect its going to show more of the same, and I want to nip this right now.

My question to you - how would you handle this? Increase the late fees for the past due amount? Final warning? Eviction?

Any advise or input will be greatly appreciated!

[Amy Oltendorf]

Did you say anything the first month that he was $100 short? I am all about nipping it right away, however, is there something that just came up in their personal life? Have they paid on time with sufficient funds in the past? For how long? Try communicating with them first to see what is going on, then if you do not get anywhere with it, then you know they are non compliant.