Forewarned Late Payment?

[Brandyn Dietman]

Quick question for you guys.. I have a tenant in Milwaukee, Wi that just let me know through a text that she will be late on her $450 rent payment for August. She hasn't been late since I took it over (4 months ago), but I have had to key her into the late fee of $50 to get her to pay on time the first month.She does teaching stuff, so it's presumable that she'll be on time next month when school starts.  My question is, in her text she said she will have 1/2 of the rent the 1st, then "should" have the second half with the late fee two weeks later, so she gets she'll be paying extra.

I don't want to be soft and encourage this type of habit to form, but I don't want to be a jerk and evict her right off the bat either, especially if she warned me a week in advance.

Would you serve a 5 day notice on the 6th when the grace period ends? I'd obviously like to be covered in case she decides not to pay, or doesn't have the money two weeks later, but I'd also like to give her the chance to pay since she's been in the unit for 3 years.

What would you do??

Thanks!

Brandyn

[Percy N.]

@Brandyn Dietman, can you charge her the late fee, but say - if all future payments are on time, you will refund this one late fee when the lease is up? That is incentive for them to pay the rest of the monthly payments on time and you are not being mean.