What’s the law regarding later rent and late fees?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What’s the law regarding later rent and late fees?
My rent is $420 and if we don’t pay on the first of the month my landlord will charge a $20 a day late fee starting the second of the month. I that reasonable? Also, my husband gets paid every 2 weeks. His emploryer cut almost $500 causing us to be late on rent when we got the money we owed an extra $100. His job won’t cover and we offered $460, what we could afford. However, our landlord said if you don’t have it all I won’t take but then he said he would take it. The $100 would be added to next month’s rent. Is that legal?
Asked on August 8, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Louisiana
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Whether or not the late fee charge is contractually allowed or illegal per statute in your state of residence depends upon what the presumed written lease agreement between you and the landlord states. As such, I strongly suggest that you carefully read the lease agreement on the topic of late charges in that its terms control the situation. If late charges are stated to be assessed if rent is not paid on the first of the month, then the $20.00 late charge seemingly is allowed and is valid.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.