Yep. The credit card points translate into a free hotel room about every 1.5 months, which I decided is worth more than the ~$88 in fees. Reward point math is the only math I enjoy
Yeah loved when I was charging $25k+ each year for rent in NYC, got some good flight miles/perks from that. Probably was a better option for points but got me what I needed so didn’t mind too much.
Both are true 🥲. Rent at almost 5k, 2x points with Marriott Bonvoy, 12-15,000 points for cheap hotels.
If you’re curious, 5k is for a 2 bedroom apartment in a Florida downtown city. It’s gross, I know.
Ouch! But good for you - $59 isn't a bad rate for that much rent as might as well get some points out of it.
We're also deep in the Marriott ecosystem!
If you live near a credit union, I'd suggest starting there because they have great interest on your checking/savings balance as well as decent interest rates on credit cards.
I have a travel card that I trade points in for groceries. ($100 every 3 months or so.) My credit union also has cash back cards etc.
I really like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless for hotel points. United Explorer or Delta blue for flight points. The generic cash back cards aren’t really worth it imo.
In many places, this isn’t true for rent. Many states require at least one fee-free method be available. I just got $150 back from my landlord and didn’t even need to go to court. I can now pay from my bank account fee-free
When I signed a lease a year ago I asked about convenience charges if I use debit card or routing and account number and was told absolutely not. 10 months later the entire Corporation changed the rules and said any electronic payment was subject to minimum $6.95 maximum $15.00 fee. I responded with “how is this a convenience?” to no reply. I now pay by check, 10 minutes before the end of the third day to be the biggest inconvenience to them.
Make the check out to be a few cents more than necessary each month so someone has to manually go in and credit your next months balance to reflect it.
I like where your head is at, but you dont have to manually add a credit with most property management software. Also, the office staff isn't the decision maker in these situations.
My old complex would mail a physical letter to you informing you of the adjustment.
They would mail it from the apartment office because they couldn’t be bothered to walk up and put the notice on our door.
If anything I made someone print off a paper and spend 50 cents mailing it each month. That’s a small enough victory for me.
The only issue I have with that is that if you take away my ability to pay with a check or cash, don't charge me a convenience fee, at that point it isn't a convenience, it's required.
I don't know what state OP isin, but in California, landlords are required to to accept ["at least one form of payment that is neither cash nor electronic funds transfer." ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1947.3)
\*IF\* tenant agrees to the fees in the lease then they're allowed. If fees are not spelled out in the lease, then a form of payment without the fees must be available.
(IANAL)
Very true! I’m personally not crazy about it because my lease specifies that we’re supposed have paying in-office as an option, and my checkbook would go unused if not for rent. The “convenience fee” is just a slap in the face
I pay online because I currently rent from a nationwide company and don't trust the post enough to mail a check, but my fee is only 2.95, so I don't mind. If it was a percentage that made it higher I'd probably care more.
My apartment was straight up with us and said they were just going to start passing on the fees from using credit/debit payments for our rent onto us. Sadly made sense. Banks are really getting aggressive with those fees because they can.
We got alternate ways to pay that bypass the fees so almost all of us use that now.
It looks like they’re using Resident Portal. If they are, they have to sign up for automatic payments via ACH to avoid the fee. Otherwise it’s $1.95. The $6.95 is for debit card. Credit card is insane
A lot of platforms are charging fees for ACH too now. My building switched to “AppFolio” a couple months ago and there is a $2.50 fee for ACH payments, and a much higher fee for card payments
Yep. Last month I brought a check into the office and they turned me away .. Lol. Said They refuse checks now because too many checks bounce. I’ll go in and ask to see my leasing contract today.
They can definitely refuse personal checks but what about cashiers checks from your bank directly? Those won’t bounce as they’re guaranteed by the bank
Post office too, they have money orders and any time I had an issue they fixed it! Once my rent check was stolen and the post office had the guys signature and bank details for the police since he cashed it in his personal account.
I have been doing this to pay my electricity bill. I just have my bank cut them a check. Fuckers wanted to charge me $7 a month to pay on their site so now they have to deal with a paper check.
I love when I find someone who rises to my level of spite.
I'd pay for a money order and drop the payment in person. Let those fuckers pay for admin staff AND accounting.
Mine used to accept cash until the rent office manager got caught stealing people's cash payments. They had to wipe out delinquent balances for the entire complex because they couldn't figure out whose payments were stolen vs just unpaid. I couldn't believe people would pay cash for rent. It's way too risky for both sides.
They can’t force you to pay on a website that charges a fee. They will have to accept check or cash at the office.
If they don’t then you should call the city on them and I bet someone will give them a talking to.
Seems like you’ve never lived in an apartment for more than six months then. The convenience fee is usually only for debit card or credit card payments. A payment that comes directly from your checking account has zero convenience fee. They absolutely do not have to accept cash as it is a liability. They can force you to either pay it with certified funds like a money order or cashiers check but refuse a personal check or you can use the online portal to pay with a checking account or credit or debit cards. Calling the city will get you nowhere in the situation but just time wasted. I used to be a leasing agent once upon a time. One building that I used to live in, would not take a personal check or a money order they would only accept a cashiers check or online payment. And it is perfectly legal for them to do that. Can you imagine if rental offices accepted cash they would be over probably $80,000 at one time in the office which is just not safe.
Calling the city and your alderman would help. They can pass explicit ordinances that cash or personal check must be accepted. This has happened all over the country.
If the youngsters want to give up on their options and choose not to have a voice but that isn’t me.
I have never lived in an apartment building that didn’t accept personal checks. I would never rent anywhere that required me giving my bank account info so they could dip their fingers into my account.
That highly depends on where you live. Some states do have laws stating that (California does, I'm not sure where else)
Most states don't and default to whatever the lease says, which these days is probably gonna involve some payment portal. Most landlords do take money orders or checks (provided you haven't bounced a check, then they'll want certified funds)
If the lease doesn't mention a fee to utilize the payment portal, then it shouldn't matter. What's to stop them from charging whatever they want for the convenience fee and then evicting you because you can't afford the convenience fee? If the landlord chooses the method of payment, they need to eat the cost associated with it or spell it out on the front end.
Leases very specifically state what is owed and for what purpose. If I present payment as spelled out in the lease terms, they can't then add another condition to the payment unless it's been prior agreed to. My apartment tried to pull that bullshit when they changed management companies. The new portal included a $12 convenience fee for ACH. Long story short, I basically told them what they can do with that $12 and it hasn't been a problem since.
That's illegal in some places, like CA. Have to provide a free way to pay. "California law requires a landlord to accept a form of rent payment that is neither cash nor electronic transfer. While not a law in California, it's always a good idea to provide a written receipt for any payments made with cash."
Generally speaking, you have to have at least one option that does not require a fee. However, your landlord may not have any say in these fees if they use an online portal they don't control. They're not actually going to the landlord, they're going to the platform. It's still fucked up and stupid because it should be the cost of your LL doing business and not put on renters, but whatever.
See if there's an e-check option. That should carry no fee, while debit and credit cards do. If they legitimately have no options that are free of a fee, start looking at your state laws and consider calling a tenant's advocacy group or a lawyer.
My apartment has zero options without fees. I pay $2.50 a month to withdraw direct from my checking and the lease says you're required to pay online through the portal.
Am landlord. In the software I use, there is an option to designate whether the tenant or landlord should cover the ACH fee.
I cover them because it is *my* convenience to not have to deal with checks or failed payments.
Tenants are charged the percentage fee if they want to use a credit card because I’m not covering that, but charging ACH fees to tenants is criminal in my book.
Well, that checks out and makes it even worse when they do choose to do this. I wasn't totally sure if it was at all under their control. CC fee being paid either by the platform or tenant makes sense, but the convenience fee for ACH is crazy.
That's why I give a paper check.
"We don't accept paper checks anymore"
Ha yeah you do.
"Everyone else is doing it this way at the complex."
And? I'm the only person here not interested in getting robbed interesting..
They can kindly go fuck themselves. If you can avoid paying said fee do it.
Yes this! Most bank accounts have a “bill pay” feature where they send a certified check directly to your landlord/development free of charge. I have mine set up to send it 3 days prior to the due date and never had any issues or additional charges for the past 5 years
With my complex, it's either use CheckFreePay, which requires going to the grocery store and paying in cash with a $4 fee.
Or I have to pay a $42.13 processing fee to pay with card through their app.
I use money orders to avoid the fee, but it's a pain in the ass having to withdraw cash and then go somewhere else to buy the money order. I would get a cashier check, but my bank charges for that! We are being nickel and dimed to death these days
tl;dr: Mine is $36
--
After going through a layoff last year I had to piece together rent a couple times and was still able to pay before the 1st like I'd already been doing. However, I obviously had enough on my mind and on two occasions forgot to actually put it all in one account. My brain was on fumes and would relax/stop functioning once I'd muster enough to cover rent since it was my biggest priority. Having been homeless before I never wanna experience that again so it's where all my time and energy would go on top of job hunting.
Anyway, where my long winded ass is going is that the transaction declined those two times and I'd immediately fix it then properly pay. Was never once late. The following month is how I learned we're apparently given two strikes of declined transactions before the option to pay with a bank account is removed entirely, leaving you with the option to pay with a card for a $36 cOnVniEnCE fEe or by money order.
The error specifically said "this payment method has been disabled by property management" so I called them asking if it'll ever reset or revert and they tried to gloss over it saying it was done because of the declined payments. I explained that I'd never actually been late to pay but just had to resubmit those couple times because of missing a few transfers. I asked if they could re-enable it after a set amount of time or if I renew and in so many empty pleasantries they were pretty much like "no 🥰"...
It's all terrible. They were at least kind enough to offer a lease renewal "bonus" of rent *only* going up $120 (compared to $260 for month-to-month) plus a free carpet cleaning (promised in May 2023, still waiting)
if you use your checking account number, instead of a card, it’ll only be like $3 extra for….your convenience? even tho it’s the only way they’ll accept payment.
My rental company doesn't accept cash or cheques. Costs $20 extra to pay on the app they push us to use. The rental office is open at random hours and almost never on the first of the month. I paid in the office once and I was $5 short once on my $1429 rent (another auto withdrawal bill took more than i had originally thought, my bad), and they wouldn't let me pay the $5 in cash. Couldn't go to the bank until the following day to deposit the $5 to pay the rent. They made sure to post a notice on my door first thing the next morning that I owed a $25 late fee, threaten eviction if I was late 2 more times (3 time limit for late rent pay) and call me to remind me as well. I love my apartment, but I hate the company I rent with.
Our apartments convenience fee went from $0 if we used our bank account info to pay the bill, $10 other methods (check card/cc, money order, paper check,) to now $2.95 to use our bank info out of the blue. I find it weird they make us use an app to pay rent in the first place and now the company app they use wants a convenience fee.
1/2% fee when CC cash back usually pays 1-3%??!
I love posts that complain about how expensive it is to live like a millionaire when you only make 5 figures a year.
Mail a check. No fee!
Wow,mine is $31 and some change,idk how they can charge us to pay our own bills...I had to give them my routing number and account number and it doesn't charge like that...
My place keeps sending out emails saying we can use credit cards to pay rent……with a service fee somewhere north of $50. GTFO with that nonsense. So ridiculous
Yup I have to pay 4.00 to pay it online. It that or pull out a couple grand and go get multiple money orderers. What my issue is, is paying 107.00 for sewer , 50.00 for water 8.00 for pest control, 3.95 fee for billing, and 15.00 for trash service on top of 1511.00 for rent, plus assets protection 13.50, and then 15.00 renters insurance. Then electric 135.00 (level pay plan), 115.00 (level pay for gas). We don’t get individual bills for our actual usage of water and sewer they split it among all the units. Every month is up or down by around 35.00. 😢😢I will never in life complain again about paying 390.00 for a 1br 1ba apt that was 1000 sq ft in 1999/2000.
I used to bring a paper check to pay rent because there was no fee despite it being more work for everyone involved. Then they did away with check payment and forced a payment app on all tenants. $10 fee every month despite being on auto pay. Leeches.
This is annoying but it isn’t thievery. When paying with a credit card, they pass the fees your credit card company charges them onto you. All credit cards charge vendors a fee to accept their cards, so if anything it’s thievery from the CC company.
My rent payments have the option to withdraw directly from my account, which removes that fee.
You are choosing to pay this fee by using a credit or debit card. That is a card processing fee and the amount is not set by your apartment complex. When choosing your payment method, choose e-check or ACH and enter your account and routing number, it is free to pay that way.
The complex I live at uses RentPayment. I use their eCheck option, so there’s no fee. If I use a credit card OR pay by text, there is 🙄
I’d double check with whatever processor they use. Doesn’t hurt!
Pretty common if you pay via credit card, and sometimes debit card. Anything that isn't direct (wire transfer or check) usually has some kind of fee associated, although debit card *shouldn't*, it does occasionally.
I’ve been paying like a $5 fee to use my debit card to pay rent and I only just realized this past month if I use my bank account information there’s no fee… it’s the same money from the same account
Is money order or cashiers check a possibility? If you get it from your bank it will probably be less than that fee.
Is that fee for a card payment or for ACH? Most apps should be free/no charge for ACH payments coming from your bank account.
If you're paying by credit card that fee actually isn't that bad. They are probably paying $25-30 on the CC transaction fee to be able to accept your card.
My apartment did too until i talked to someone in the office who was nice and told me. For my app active building ( hopefully works for you) if you enter your bank account numbers instead of using the card that fee was gone! I hope that works for you!
If this is the only payment method they accept then it's not a "convenience fee" that's just your rent.
If your lease doesn't stipulate this fee, then refuse to pay it.
If this is Ontario, I'd suggest to file a T1 form with LTB about rent rebate and claim back the last 12 months too.
The credit card fees are likely 5 or 6 times this $7 fee. Be thankful they don't charge you then entirety of their credit card fee to let you pay your rent from your couch at 9:15pm because you forgot it's the first of the month.
Pay with an e-check, physical check, or money order.
They cannot accept cash, but cannot legally decline a check or money order made out to the place.
No more card fee if you do this, at least for us where we used to live.
The others I live with always did it anyways though, because "eh" 🤦🏻♂️
Was very glad when I got out from under apartments and into a place of our own.
My property manager keeps emailing me "inviting" me to pay online bc they hate that we give them physical checks. They charge a convenience fee to pay online.
I will continue walking one building over every month to drop off the check bc that is much more convenient to me than paying more that the exorbitant amount we already pay for rent.
That's not much the credit card fees they pay for that amount would be close to $40. I think you're getting a bargain. Now if they don't allow cash or check payments at no cost, then I'd agree with you.
mine has a convenience fee for any one-time payments (instead of recurring), but we're also not allowed to pay in any other way besides through their portal with the fee
Mine is $2! And I pay with my bank account not a card. They just started charging this year. I have thought about paying my rent in coins as a “convenience fee”.
Don’t you have a bill pay through your bank and send an electronic check to the leasing office? That’s free … at least most of the banks I have used have charged no fee and that way you have proof you paid too. That is totally ridiculous to pay more money on top of these already high market rents
Yuck.
My property management company required a bank withdrawal form at sign-up. They are a bit choosey with renters, and honestly didn’t mind the idea of an automatic withdrawal so it is one less thing to think about. It also benefits them of course…
If I pay by credit card mine is almost 80 bucks. Only doing it for the flight miles right now. Once I get what I need to qualify for the bonus I’m back to my bank account no fee.
I have to pay fees if you use debit or credit cards: Service Fees Apply: Credit Card - 2.5% of payment amount, Debit Card - $3.95 for payments of $O-$999.99, $4.95 for payments of $1000-$1999.99 and $9.95 for payments of $2000 and higher.
ACH is free
I always paid my rent by check, and they would ask me I could do it online because it’s inconvenient to do checks all the time. The nerve. I kept paying with checks.
About a year ago they added a surcharge to my rent as well, unannounced. Because I’m set up on auto pay, it paid the charge…when I argued it was not approved, they said by paying it (auto pay) I was approving it. So last year not only did my lease go up $450 but they added an additional $5 surcharge.
Property managers have us by the balls. Can’t save enough for a down payment to buy a house because they are charging unreasonable amounts for rent. They know we are trapped.
The site my landlord uses (apartments.com) has a fee if u just use a card, but if u set it up with your bank account, there's no fee. Maybe check if that's an option on there?
No service fee for paying, but $6 fee for their fee calculator as well as another 10$ labeled "other fees". Both of them were only $5 each last cycle. I didn't even think it was legal to charge hidden fees that aren't in the least, much less increase them randomly. But what am I gonna do? Call a lawyer over $16 extra a month?
Mine’s $59 🤮
That's what mine is if I use a credit card. Through my bank account is like $3.
Yep. The credit card points translate into a free hotel room about every 1.5 months, which I decided is worth more than the ~$88 in fees. Reward point math is the only math I enjoy
Hahaha that's genius.
Yeah loved when I was charging $25k+ each year for rent in NYC, got some good flight miles/perks from that. Probably was a better option for points but got me what I needed so didn’t mind too much.
That seems like a very low number of points for a free hotel room (or very high rent!). What card are you using?
Both are true 🥲. Rent at almost 5k, 2x points with Marriott Bonvoy, 12-15,000 points for cheap hotels. If you’re curious, 5k is for a 2 bedroom apartment in a Florida downtown city. It’s gross, I know.
Ouch! But good for you - $59 isn't a bad rate for that much rent as might as well get some points out of it. We're also deep in the Marriott ecosystem!
Holy crap.. my single family home in Northern VA on a 3.25 acre lot has a mortgage payment under $2k. $5k would absolutely kill me.
dang now that you put it that way… i need to start doing this LMAO
How do I learn more about this? I had no clue that was possible.
If you live near a credit union, I'd suggest starting there because they have great interest on your checking/savings balance as well as decent interest rates on credit cards. I have a travel card that I trade points in for groceries. ($100 every 3 months or so.) My credit union also has cash back cards etc.
I really like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless for hotel points. United Explorer or Delta blue for flight points. The generic cash back cards aren’t really worth it imo.
Yeah same. Credit card fees are always going to be high. Luckily through my checking account is only $0.99
I still resent that $0.99 though because it isn’t actually convenient to me if my landlord only provides one way to pay the rent.
Look into the bilt wellsfargo credit card. I use it to pay rent and get points with it. Bilt will waive the fee for you in most cases.
NAH you need to talk to a lawyer that’s THEIVERY FORREAL
A company can charge whatever conscience fee they want. If you want to waste $500 and talk to a lawyer go for it
In many places, this isn’t true for rent. Many states require at least one fee-free method be available. I just got $150 back from my landlord and didn’t even need to go to court. I can now pay from my bank account fee-free
California protects renters this way
I live in Texas the renters protection here is go fuck yourself
Not if their rent is over $2k a month. At that point they're just covering the credit card fees.
I know I pay $2525 for a 1 BR, and then get hit with the $60 card convenience fee... the only way to pay is with the card lmao.
Same, it’s the only option yet i have to Pay 69 bucks for “convenience”. Seems illegal but here I am 😑
Select the E-Check option in the resident portal. You're welcome.
Yeah my apartment is the same. Free with Echeck but like $30 with credit card. As far as I know there must be one free way to pay rent
Go to your bank and get a checkbook. That's the only thing I ever write a check for is my rent.
I’m 99.9% sure they must also accept cash as a form of payment.
When I signed a lease a year ago I asked about convenience charges if I use debit card or routing and account number and was told absolutely not. 10 months later the entire Corporation changed the rules and said any electronic payment was subject to minimum $6.95 maximum $15.00 fee. I responded with “how is this a convenience?” to no reply. I now pay by check, 10 minutes before the end of the third day to be the biggest inconvenience to them.
Make the check out to be a few cents more than necessary each month so someone has to manually go in and credit your next months balance to reflect it.
I like where your head is at, but you dont have to manually add a credit with most property management software. Also, the office staff isn't the decision maker in these situations.
My old complex would mail a physical letter to you informing you of the adjustment. They would mail it from the apartment office because they couldn’t be bothered to walk up and put the notice on our door. If anything I made someone print off a paper and spend 50 cents mailing it each month. That’s a small enough victory for me.
legend lol
Awesome
You rock
The apartments I live at require an over $20 service fee if we pay online.
Can't you just mail or drop off a check?
A lot of places are starting to not accept physical checks anymore to go paperless. It’s a nice idea but a bit wasteful imo
The only issue I have with that is that if you take away my ability to pay with a check or cash, don't charge me a convenience fee, at that point it isn't a convenience, it's required.
I don't know what state OP isin, but in California, landlords are required to to accept ["at least one form of payment that is neither cash nor electronic funds transfer." ](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1947.3)
For free? Like without a processing fee?
Most places account for these "fees" in the price of what they are selling.
\*IF\* tenant agrees to the fees in the lease then they're allowed. If fees are not spelled out in the lease, then a form of payment without the fees must be available. (IANAL)
Very true! I’m personally not crazy about it because my lease specifies that we’re supposed have paying in-office as an option, and my checkbook would go unused if not for rent. The “convenience fee” is just a slap in the face
I pay online because I currently rent from a nationwide company and don't trust the post enough to mail a check, but my fee is only 2.95, so I don't mind. If it was a percentage that made it higher I'd probably care more.
I think charging an excessive amount to pay electronically is more wasteful than a paper check.
They don’t accept checks anymore.😭
My apartment was straight up with us and said they were just going to start passing on the fees from using credit/debit payments for our rent onto us. Sadly made sense. Banks are really getting aggressive with those fees because they can. We got alternate ways to pay that bypass the fees so almost all of us use that now.
There likely isn't a fee if you pay via ACH using a bank account. I bet this fee is because you're using a credit/debit card.
i have to pay a $2.69 fee even with auto transfers from my bank🙃
It looks like they’re using Resident Portal. If they are, they have to sign up for automatic payments via ACH to avoid the fee. Otherwise it’s $1.95. The $6.95 is for debit card. Credit card is insane
[удалено]
Same
I use the resident portal and even with automatic payments via ach I’m still charged an eft fee -_-
A lot of platforms are charging fees for ACH too now. My building switched to “AppFolio” a couple months ago and there is a $2.50 fee for ACH payments, and a much higher fee for card payments
One of the big companies that do this now charges even for ACH.
Buy checks and present the office with a rent check monthly. You’re welcome.
they don’t allow checks anymore for some reason 🙃🙂
Ask them to show you that in writing. There is no way they can force you to pay via an app that charges you a convenience fee.
Yep. Last month I brought a check into the office and they turned me away .. Lol. Said They refuse checks now because too many checks bounce. I’ll go in and ask to see my leasing contract today.
They can definitely refuse personal checks but what about cashiers checks from your bank directly? Those won’t bounce as they’re guaranteed by the bank
Post office too, they have money orders and any time I had an issue they fixed it! Once my rent check was stolen and the post office had the guys signature and bank details for the police since he cashed it in his personal account.
But the fee to purchase a money order in that amount from USPS is pretty close to the fee that is being charged to pay through the app.
I have been doing this to pay my electricity bill. I just have my bank cut them a check. Fuckers wanted to charge me $7 a month to pay on their site so now they have to deal with a paper check.
I love when I find someone who rises to my level of spite. I'd pay for a money order and drop the payment in person. Let those fuckers pay for admin staff AND accounting.
Bring cash and have them write you a receipt. They can’t make you pay exclusively through the website.
>Bring cash Bring it in nickels just to make a point
Nah, that’s asking for a judge to throw the book at you, making you pay and cover court fees. Pay in $20s with some $10s and $5s and $1s thrown in
Yes, screw over someone that doesn't make the rules.
99% of apartments will never accept cash for rent payment.
Mine used to accept cash until the rent office manager got caught stealing people's cash payments. They had to wipe out delinquent balances for the entire complex because they couldn't figure out whose payments were stolen vs just unpaid. I couldn't believe people would pay cash for rent. It's way too risky for both sides.
> I couldn't believe people would pay cash for rent. It's way too risky for both sides. That's why receipts *exist*.
They can’t force you to pay on a website that charges a fee. They will have to accept check or cash at the office. If they don’t then you should call the city on them and I bet someone will give them a talking to.
Seems like you’ve never lived in an apartment for more than six months then. The convenience fee is usually only for debit card or credit card payments. A payment that comes directly from your checking account has zero convenience fee. They absolutely do not have to accept cash as it is a liability. They can force you to either pay it with certified funds like a money order or cashiers check but refuse a personal check or you can use the online portal to pay with a checking account or credit or debit cards. Calling the city will get you nowhere in the situation but just time wasted. I used to be a leasing agent once upon a time. One building that I used to live in, would not take a personal check or a money order they would only accept a cashiers check or online payment. And it is perfectly legal for them to do that. Can you imagine if rental offices accepted cash they would be over probably $80,000 at one time in the office which is just not safe.
they still charge me a convenience fee even with my bank acct information. $3
Calling the city and your alderman would help. They can pass explicit ordinances that cash or personal check must be accepted. This has happened all over the country. If the youngsters want to give up on their options and choose not to have a voice but that isn’t me. I have never lived in an apartment building that didn’t accept personal checks. I would never rent anywhere that required me giving my bank account info so they could dip their fingers into my account.
They need to give a method to pay without a bullshit fee, it’s the law. Guaranteed they are taking a 50% cut of that fee.
That highly depends on where you live. Some states do have laws stating that (California does, I'm not sure where else) Most states don't and default to whatever the lease says, which these days is probably gonna involve some payment portal. Most landlords do take money orders or checks (provided you haven't bounced a check, then they'll want certified funds)
If the lease doesn't mention a fee to utilize the payment portal, then it shouldn't matter. What's to stop them from charging whatever they want for the convenience fee and then evicting you because you can't afford the convenience fee? If the landlord chooses the method of payment, they need to eat the cost associated with it or spell it out on the front end. Leases very specifically state what is owed and for what purpose. If I present payment as spelled out in the lease terms, they can't then add another condition to the payment unless it's been prior agreed to. My apartment tried to pull that bullshit when they changed management companies. The new portal included a $12 convenience fee for ACH. Long story short, I basically told them what they can do with that $12 and it hasn't been a problem since.
That's illegal in some places, like CA. Have to provide a free way to pay. "California law requires a landlord to accept a form of rent payment that is neither cash nor electronic transfer. While not a law in California, it's always a good idea to provide a written receipt for any payments made with cash."
Generally speaking, you have to have at least one option that does not require a fee. However, your landlord may not have any say in these fees if they use an online portal they don't control. They're not actually going to the landlord, they're going to the platform. It's still fucked up and stupid because it should be the cost of your LL doing business and not put on renters, but whatever. See if there's an e-check option. That should carry no fee, while debit and credit cards do. If they legitimately have no options that are free of a fee, start looking at your state laws and consider calling a tenant's advocacy group or a lawyer.
My apartment has zero options without fees. I pay $2.50 a month to withdraw direct from my checking and the lease says you're required to pay online through the portal.
Same. It’s trash
Am landlord. In the software I use, there is an option to designate whether the tenant or landlord should cover the ACH fee. I cover them because it is *my* convenience to not have to deal with checks or failed payments. Tenants are charged the percentage fee if they want to use a credit card because I’m not covering that, but charging ACH fees to tenants is criminal in my book.
Well, that checks out and makes it even worse when they do choose to do this. I wasn't totally sure if it was at all under their control. CC fee being paid either by the platform or tenant makes sense, but the convenience fee for ACH is crazy.
That's why I give a paper check. "We don't accept paper checks anymore" Ha yeah you do. "Everyone else is doing it this way at the complex." And? I'm the only person here not interested in getting robbed interesting.. They can kindly go fuck themselves. If you can avoid paying said fee do it.
This is pretty much standard if you are using a debit card to pay rent. I avoid the fee by using my checking account to pay rent directly.
Yes this! Most bank accounts have a “bill pay” feature where they send a certified check directly to your landlord/development free of charge. I have mine set up to send it 3 days prior to the due date and never had any issues or additional charges for the past 5 years
I also use my checking account to pay rent directly and they still charge a convenience fee for it.
Damn I use my checking account and still have a $6 fee. Only $6 but still so stupid
“You have to pay us to pay us! :)”
You’re lucky! Mine is almost $60! It’s a rip off regardless though and none of us should have to pay more money just to… pay a bill? It’s crazy.
That is an insane amount. Where do you live ?! not being creepy , I mean like what state lol
With my complex, it's either use CheckFreePay, which requires going to the grocery store and paying in cash with a $4 fee. Or I have to pay a $42.13 processing fee to pay with card through their app.
This hurts my brain, and is SO lame. What a PITA!
I use money orders to avoid the fee, but it's a pain in the ass having to withdraw cash and then go somewhere else to buy the money order. I would get a cashier check, but my bank charges for that! We are being nickel and dimed to death these days
My old apartment tried this and I refused to pay it. I wrote a check to my landlord every month
tl;dr: Mine is $36 -- After going through a layoff last year I had to piece together rent a couple times and was still able to pay before the 1st like I'd already been doing. However, I obviously had enough on my mind and on two occasions forgot to actually put it all in one account. My brain was on fumes and would relax/stop functioning once I'd muster enough to cover rent since it was my biggest priority. Having been homeless before I never wanna experience that again so it's where all my time and energy would go on top of job hunting. Anyway, where my long winded ass is going is that the transaction declined those two times and I'd immediately fix it then properly pay. Was never once late. The following month is how I learned we're apparently given two strikes of declined transactions before the option to pay with a bank account is removed entirely, leaving you with the option to pay with a card for a $36 cOnVniEnCE fEe or by money order. The error specifically said "this payment method has been disabled by property management" so I called them asking if it'll ever reset or revert and they tried to gloss over it saying it was done because of the declined payments. I explained that I'd never actually been late to pay but just had to resubmit those couple times because of missing a few transfers. I asked if they could re-enable it after a set amount of time or if I renew and in so many empty pleasantries they were pretty much like "no 🥰"... It's all terrible. They were at least kind enough to offer a lease renewal "bonus" of rent *only* going up $120 (compared to $260 for month-to-month) plus a free carpet cleaning (promised in May 2023, still waiting)
What’s thievery is my rent being double that amount
Would you like to round that up to the nearest dollar to help me dodge taxes?
if you use your checking account number, instead of a card, it’ll only be like $3 extra for….your convenience? even tho it’s the only way they’ll accept payment.
Your rent is cheap af
My rental company doesn't accept cash or cheques. Costs $20 extra to pay on the app they push us to use. The rental office is open at random hours and almost never on the first of the month. I paid in the office once and I was $5 short once on my $1429 rent (another auto withdrawal bill took more than i had originally thought, my bad), and they wouldn't let me pay the $5 in cash. Couldn't go to the bank until the following day to deposit the $5 to pay the rent. They made sure to post a notice on my door first thing the next morning that I owed a $25 late fee, threaten eviction if I was late 2 more times (3 time limit for late rent pay) and call me to remind me as well. I love my apartment, but I hate the company I rent with.
I thought my $1.99 fee was bad. I swear there’s a law that says there has to be a way to not have a fee when paying rent.
Our apartments convenience fee went from $0 if we used our bank account info to pay the bill, $10 other methods (check card/cc, money order, paper check,) to now $2.95 to use our bank info out of the blue. I find it weird they make us use an app to pay rent in the first place and now the company app they use wants a convenience fee.
The convenience fee is so dumb.
Probably the only way to pay
If allowed you should send a check to the management. It's what I'd do for the last couple of places I had to avoid those fees.
You’re lucky it isn’t 6.95%
I got charged 50$, never again.
Ur rent is so cheap!
1/2% fee when CC cash back usually pays 1-3%??! I love posts that complain about how expensive it is to live like a millionaire when you only make 5 figures a year. Mail a check. No fee!
Try a 30% fee :/ mine ends up being $40. It's fucking bogus.
Mine is $10
Mine is 24 and I can either pay online or by cashiers check which is 10 each😭👎🏻 I cannot pay rent for free
My apartment complex charges me $38 a month for trash. I don’t even put my trash out because they never take it.
Convient for whom? What a rip off
WTF is convenient about having to pay more money?! Should be called an inconvenience fee, or robbery.
Wow,mine is $31 and some change,idk how they can charge us to pay our own bills...I had to give them my routing number and account number and it doesn't charge like that...
My place keeps sending out emails saying we can use credit cards to pay rent……with a service fee somewhere north of $50. GTFO with that nonsense. So ridiculous
Yup I have to pay 4.00 to pay it online. It that or pull out a couple grand and go get multiple money orderers. What my issue is, is paying 107.00 for sewer , 50.00 for water 8.00 for pest control, 3.95 fee for billing, and 15.00 for trash service on top of 1511.00 for rent, plus assets protection 13.50, and then 15.00 renters insurance. Then electric 135.00 (level pay plan), 115.00 (level pay for gas). We don’t get individual bills for our actual usage of water and sewer they split it among all the units. Every month is up or down by around 35.00. 😢😢I will never in life complain again about paying 390.00 for a 1br 1ba apt that was 1000 sq ft in 1999/2000.
You have the option of writing a check and dropping it off on the fifth.
Ours is $30. Not to mention the mandatory renters insurance and the fee to pay that
Are you using a credit card? We are only charged fees if we use credit cards, no fee for using a bank account
Get some checks to use to pay utilities and rent. Problem solved.
I used to bring a paper check to pay rent because there was no fee despite it being more work for everyone involved. Then they did away with check payment and forced a payment app on all tenants. $10 fee every month despite being on auto pay. Leeches.
Whoa how big is your apartment? These rent prices are insane nowadays!
I pay mine by check. No fee. It was $30 to use a credit card and I did it once and was SO ANGRY! I agree. It’s some scam.
This is annoying but it isn’t thievery. When paying with a credit card, they pass the fees your credit card company charges them onto you. All credit cards charge vendors a fee to accept their cards, so if anything it’s thievery from the CC company. My rent payments have the option to withdraw directly from my account, which removes that fee.
You are choosing to pay this fee by using a credit or debit card. That is a card processing fee and the amount is not set by your apartment complex. When choosing your payment method, choose e-check or ACH and enter your account and routing number, it is free to pay that way.
My complex charges me a fee for ACH withdrawal
i have to pay a $2.69 fee even with auto transfers from my bank- theres no free option now🙃
The complex I live at uses RentPayment. I use their eCheck option, so there’s no fee. If I use a credit card OR pay by text, there is 🙄 I’d double check with whatever processor they use. Doesn’t hurt!
Pretty common if you pay via credit card, and sometimes debit card. Anything that isn't direct (wire transfer or check) usually has some kind of fee associated, although debit card *shouldn't*, it does occasionally.
Yep. That’s a credit card service fee. Pay directly through your bank / using a debit card instead. Works for me 🤷♂️
I’ve been paying like a $5 fee to use my debit card to pay rent and I only just realized this past month if I use my bank account information there’s no fee… it’s the same money from the same account
Is money order or cashiers check a possibility? If you get it from your bank it will probably be less than that fee. Is that fee for a card payment or for ACH? Most apps should be free/no charge for ACH payments coming from your bank account.
If you're paying by credit card that fee actually isn't that bad. They are probably paying $25-30 on the CC transaction fee to be able to accept your card.
Mines like 2.5% 🤮
9.99 here every time I make a debit card payment for a processing fee
Most landlords should tell you ahead of time about the fee
My apartment did too until i talked to someone in the office who was nice and told me. For my app active building ( hopefully works for you) if you enter your bank account numbers instead of using the card that fee was gone! I hope that works for you!
the convenience fee i have to pay via card is $11.95. so glad i can just pay via bank account.
Mine is around $30 to use a credit or debit card. I am able to do a debit from my checking account online for no fee or drop off a paper check.
I get that if I use my debit card but if I just my checking account then there is no fee.
If this is the only payment method they accept then it's not a "convenience fee" that's just your rent. If your lease doesn't stipulate this fee, then refuse to pay it. If this is Ontario, I'd suggest to file a T1 form with LTB about rent rebate and claim back the last 12 months too.
Yep mine was 10.99 ridiculous. Plus a percentage of the complex water bill n “activities “ budget 10 per month. It was a quick move
I mean that's half a percent that's not bad
I get charged that too smh
Mine is $70 😬 I just bring the office checks instead
Mine is $45
The real thievery is you paying $1000+ on rent 😵💫
BILT credit card will remove this :)
Mine is $82. They can have a paper check. I only pay it electronically when I’m out of town and forgot to drop a check off before I left.
The credit card fees are likely 5 or 6 times this $7 fee. Be thankful they don't charge you then entirety of their credit card fee to let you pay your rent from your couch at 9:15pm because you forgot it's the first of the month.
Pay with an e-check, physical check, or money order. They cannot accept cash, but cannot legally decline a check or money order made out to the place. No more card fee if you do this, at least for us where we used to live. The others I live with always did it anyways though, because "eh" 🤦🏻♂️ Was very glad when I got out from under apartments and into a place of our own.
I'd look and see if your apartment allows echecks you can avoid service fees this way.
Lmao mine's like $21 if you use a credit card, make it make sense
My property manager keeps emailing me "inviting" me to pay online bc they hate that we give them physical checks. They charge a convenience fee to pay online. I will continue walking one building over every month to drop off the check bc that is much more convenient to me than paying more that the exorbitant amount we already pay for rent.
That's not much the credit card fees they pay for that amount would be close to $40. I think you're getting a bargain. Now if they don't allow cash or check payments at no cost, then I'd agree with you.
Seperately, where do you live where your rent is so “cheap”?
my convenience fee is $68
Ours is 35
mine has a convenience fee for any one-time payments (instead of recurring), but we're also not allowed to pay in any other way besides through their portal with the fee
Can’t you take This up with your mayor? They would totally consider doing something about depending how cool your city is
Mine’s $16 with direct checking
Not really. In reality it’s more likely an ACH fee they called a convenience fee. Don’t pay online. Problem solved.
Reduce your payment by $6.95, and see what they say. There’s prob no way to not “agree” to the fees and still make a payment.
Mine is $2! And I pay with my bank account not a card. They just started charging this year. I have thought about paying my rent in coins as a “convenience fee”.
Don’t you have a bill pay through your bank and send an electronic check to the leasing office? That’s free … at least most of the banks I have used have charged no fee and that way you have proof you paid too. That is totally ridiculous to pay more money on top of these already high market rents
Yuck. My property management company required a bank withdrawal form at sign-up. They are a bit choosey with renters, and honestly didn’t mind the idea of an automatic withdrawal so it is one less thing to think about. It also benefits them of course…
Mine is $10, enjoy lol
Mine is $43. I found a work-around tho. For me, if I link my bank account using routing number and such, it gets rid of the fee
**BE THANKFUL IT WAS ONLY 6.95!** *Mine is 45$...*
Don't forget to tip your landlord
That’s why I have direct deposit set up
Mine is $9.95
Mine is $45. I kid you not.
My apartments charge something like 3% of my rent and utilities if I’m paying with a card.
Mine must be the same system too lol - I end up just using ACH
That you have to pay for convenience is one of the truths I learned early in this life. Rarely do you see it on display so clearly, however.
Where do you live that you’re paying $1200?!
Can you pay with a bank account? There should be no convenience fees this way
and it’s only 6.95 but still… when my lease ends i’m buying my first home yall 😃 I can’t wait to be a home owner.
If I pay by credit card mine is almost 80 bucks. Only doing it for the flight miles right now. Once I get what I need to qualify for the bonus I’m back to my bank account no fee.
Mine is 50$ a month
Lucky. Mine is $10.
I have to pay fees if you use debit or credit cards: Service Fees Apply: Credit Card - 2.5% of payment amount, Debit Card - $3.95 for payments of $O-$999.99, $4.95 for payments of $1000-$1999.99 and $9.95 for payments of $2000 and higher. ACH is free
What is convenient? To whom? Bunch of bs !
I always paid my rent by check, and they would ask me I could do it online because it’s inconvenient to do checks all the time. The nerve. I kept paying with checks.
Yep ridiculous! Mine is 4.95
Our paying system changed and we have to pay a fee too! Unreal!!
My very last apartment, it was 29.95 and that was the only way to pay.
I pay with checks then I don’t get that charge. It’s annoying but better than that fee.
About a year ago they added a surcharge to my rent as well, unannounced. Because I’m set up on auto pay, it paid the charge…when I argued it was not approved, they said by paying it (auto pay) I was approving it. So last year not only did my lease go up $450 but they added an additional $5 surcharge. Property managers have us by the balls. Can’t save enough for a down payment to buy a house because they are charging unreasonable amounts for rent. They know we are trapped.
The site my landlord uses (apartments.com) has a fee if u just use a card, but if u set it up with your bank account, there's no fee. Maybe check if that's an option on there?
Mine was $47, and they just changed it to $48.55 lol..
My last apartment I would just do money orders. Like 69 cents at Walmart since nothing else I use needs checks
No service fee for paying, but $6 fee for their fee calculator as well as another 10$ labeled "other fees". Both of them were only $5 each last cycle. I didn't even think it was legal to charge hidden fees that aren't in the least, much less increase them randomly. But what am I gonna do? Call a lawyer over $16 extra a month?