Bounced Rent Check - Sacramento/Elk Grove, CA

[Elena T.]

Good morning,

This morning I was notified by my bank my tenants rent check bounced. This is the first time I've encountered this. After reading our lease agreement, my husband and I realize we need to add additional clauses. 

For now, this is what we are going to do:

- Call tenant, notify her of the situation, write letter as well

- She'll be charged the late fee and bounced check fee

- Set-up an inspection to come an view the property this week

Questions for the BP community:

- How long can we need to legally give her to pay the rent?

- In the lease it states payment by: personal check, money order or cashier's check. Can we now require a money order or cashier's check only?

-What do need to do to protect ourselves in the case she does not pay-up?  I noticed we did not state in the lease that failure to pay was grounds for termination, only a negative report to the credit bureau. She is almost nine months into her 48 month lease.

_ Any other advice would be much appreciated. We've been landlords for nearly 3 years. Our last tenant was "picture perfect" and we have had only one other issue with this tenant, a late rent check, but she notified us a week in advance that the check was going to be late and gave the late fee in advance.

I hope everyone is having a good day!

Elena