Can I require tenant to pay fees before renewing their lease for another term?

[Sandy Magyar]

This particular tenant's lease is set to expire soon. They still owe $300 for a utility bill and $150 for removing and dumping the unit's fridge by the dumpster. The owner would like to retain this tenant. Can I add language to our lease renewal letter that includes the requirement that the above fees get paid? What are the rules around this?

[Kevin Sobilo]

@Sandy Magyar, for me that would be straight forward. In my leases fees and billed back items are payable "before rent" or "as rent".

In either case, once the item is billed back to the tenant, it is payable and when they make their next rent payment if it does not include the total amount of rent plus these additional items, they end up delinquent on RENT!

Then you just treat it like any other rent delinquency with appropriate communication, notices, and possible eviction.