Late Payment Fee

[DR131]

Hi all,

I am new to this board. Glad to be here.

The landlord (an individual not a management company) has recently instituted the following...

Rent is due on the first (nothing unusual there, with a grace period up until the fifth of the month (ok).

BUT if the rent is not received within the time-frame, a $25 late payment fee will be assessed for every day the rent is late.

Is this even legal? Any ideas?

[Phil Cohen]

check your lease. If the late fee is there, it is more or less legal. If not there, it is illegal.

[lappert]

And of course - what they all forgot -- is that the landlord can't take you to housing court for the late fee alone. He might be able to add it if you are otherwise not paid up of real rent, but for just the late fee he would need to go to civil court (maybe small claims, but not sure). That's why some tenants just don't pay it even when put on a bill.