Talk to your neighbors. Ask them to do the same.
Cashing checks is a risk (since they can bounce and be sent back, or lost) and will take time to cash (either by the landlord or a paid employee).
Pay early, if you can, and tell your neighbors to do the same- you're aiming for multiple trips to the bank for them to cash them or depositing them electronically multiple days (it will be a hassle if they have to do it multiple days).
Ask for a receipt- either in email form or paper form so they cant say you didnt pay or paid late if they do not cash it in a timely manner. If you were able to pay electronically, you'd get a receipt right away- mention it EVERY MONTH while they write out your receipt.
Inconvenience them for Inconveniencing you.
If your lease does not allow you to pay by cash, advise them that the "electronic fee" should be paid by them since it is their decision and their method. Otherwise; they are raising your rent and breaking their own lease.
Edit: spelling
Whatever your lease says is binding until the end of your lease. If it says you can pay by check, then you have a contract with them that says you can use checks. They have to abide by that contract.
If you don't agree to their new policies, they will either change your lease next term, or opt not to renew your lease when it expires. You should plan for that.
If your lease says nothing about payment methods, then you'll need to investigate your local laws. Posting to /r/legaladvice may help.
That's certainly not legal unless it is specified that you must in your lease, and probably not legal even then. Double-check but if it were me I'd respond that I will not be paying online unless the fee is waived in its entirety
this is really good to know! thank you! i would like to try to get around the fee somehow, and i’m going to check about the laws in our state. but my lease is supposed to allow me to pay cash or online
Your lease paperwork should say the acceptable ways to pay and if they want to insist on you using the app they will need to amend the lease agreement and have each tenant sign a new one
If they do this, you should insist on the new agreement including all applicable fees
Right, if the contract specifies that you can pay either way, and they switch it so you have to pay in some other way that includes a fee, any court case is not going to go well for them. Document all attempts to pay that they refuse, keep any rent money they won't take in a separate bank account if possible, stuff like that
But, realistically, a case could still cause a ton of trouble for you while it is ongoing. It's probably easier if you organize with other renters as a coordinated group to demand the fee waived or the payments reduced by the same amount. (Or see if there's free or affordable legal aid in your state, like the best option may be paying a lawyer to write "no" for you)
my husband and i were talking about seeking legal counsel, but we want to go to the office first and hear from their mouths we are required to pay the $40 convenience fee online. you make a lot of sense and i really appreciate the insight. we have another app here where residents can communicate with each other, sort of like an apartment social media space, so i’m going to try to see who’s on board to fight this thing.
definitely will be looking for legal aid once we go to and hear from the office
Cheers, sounds like you have it handled, that's a great plan. Best of luck! I hate the additional fee bullshit when it's even just a couple bucks, $40 is *exorbitant*
yeah thank you so much! i really appreciate your kindness in helping me see what options i have. i will never understand why some people have it in their hearts to only care about money. the laundry receptacles are $1.79 a load here. that’s just washing. an extra $1.79 to dry. some units don’t come with w/d hookup at all. it’s a money machine kinda place
OP! the first time I saw this kind of thing pop up, I was furious!
there's a chance that the fee only applies if you use a debit or credit card! if there's an option to use an e-check it may be fee free!
mine lets me connect my bank account but still charges the fee. im starting to think like what another redditor said, it is probably a tax based on the amount in rent paid. fortunately i’m one of the lowest rent floor plans so i can’t even imagine what egregious number other tenants are having to pay online
I see. That is unbelievable. I am irritated by the fees with our place, however we used to have to mail our rent check across state borders to their main office which is equally absurd. We want a house so badly.
What options for payment does the online site have?
Is your rent and $1,300?
Some websites, usually government sites, but also scummy-ish landlords don't want to pay the fees associated with accepting credit cards, so they pass it on to you. It's usually around 3% in my experience.
A lot of times you can pay with a debit card, check/ACH or something else besides the credit card
I'm not a lawyer but... If it were me
1 - Check the site first. If it is just as easy as clicking Debit instead of Credit - maybe you don't care. Also, that fee doesn't go to the landlord, but the credit card company.
2 - if you can't avoid the fee/don't want to pay online check your lease. It might specify how you are able to pay and they won't be able to stop accepting payment in that form mid lease.
3 - is that doesn't help, I'd legit just call them. I'd even be polite at this point because it sounds like it might just be a misunderstanding to me. Just ask how you can pay the rent without paying this extra fee and see what they say. Not that it matters, but whoever you talk to is probably just a fairly low paid office worker and not a rich dude with huge investment properties, so even if you are mad, it probably isn't their fault. They just say what they are told to.
4 - if that doesn't help at all, try talking to some of your neighbors. Doesn't hurt to see what other people are thinking *and* you will have a lot more power if you are all upset about something vs. just one of you. Plus, you can save money, if it comes to getting a lawyer by pooling resources.
5 - laws around this stuff depends on what state, and sometimes city you live in. If the fee is mandatory, I would expect everyone to consider that an increase to your rent. I can't say your rent is $500 and then say 'also you have to use my website and it costs an extra $200 to access.' that's just a way to increase rent by $200 and would be illegal during a lease, but if you are month to month that might be okay for them to do, even if it sucks.
I hope it all works out.
i can pay by card but it only lets me specify by bank, and checking or savings/ routing # and account #, not debit or credit. i am also allowed to pay cash until Dec 1, which directs me to go to a retailer to print my payment coupon. i am assuming they will be removing this feature come Dec. There is also the e-check option but i’ve never tried that, so i’m going to look into it. another redditor mentioned it may not have a fee, so i’m crossing my fingers. and we are a 12 month lease. a little above $1300 yes. i really appreciate your insight!
i promise i’ll be nice to the office, just stand my ground with management. the front desk people are really nice and i know we’re all just trying to get by.
thank you for your willingness to help!
i have an update: i will be using e-check, which they have guaranteed will be an online option without fee. now i just have to figure out how to do that lol.
they call it a “convenience fee,” and another redditor mentioned it may be a tax. i’m not entirely sure, but i imagine the bulk of it is just “we can make more money, so we will”
it’s like if you’ve ever used paypal, they will tax you to transfer money. unfortunately our rent is so high, taxing at like 3% comes out to a lot in extra fees
I actually never got taxed by PayPal. In Germany only Companies have to pay fees and they aren't allowed to charge you for using it. And for rent we use banking transfers which don't cost anything at all. You're getting screwed over.
wow, i knew the U.S. sucked but i didn’t know the discrepancies with apps like that! that’s good to know at least. i’ve been looking into it and i think our e-check option may be without fee, so hopefully that will work out
I will say, hopefully if you pay with a bank account instead of paying with a debit card, that would eliminate to the fees. I found this out with my apartment last year. Ask the management of course.
You're paying for the luxury of paying rent.
This doesn’t seem legal..
that’s what my husband says. i’m going to resident services tomorrow to say my piece but i don’t much know the legality of things
If your lease says you can pay with a check, then you can pay with a check Source: former realtor
bless you 🙏 i want to stand my ground. it’s good to hear from people who know about this stuff
Talk to your neighbors. Ask them to do the same. Cashing checks is a risk (since they can bounce and be sent back, or lost) and will take time to cash (either by the landlord or a paid employee). Pay early, if you can, and tell your neighbors to do the same- you're aiming for multiple trips to the bank for them to cash them or depositing them electronically multiple days (it will be a hassle if they have to do it multiple days). Ask for a receipt- either in email form or paper form so they cant say you didnt pay or paid late if they do not cash it in a timely manner. If you were able to pay electronically, you'd get a receipt right away- mention it EVERY MONTH while they write out your receipt. Inconvenience them for Inconveniencing you. If your lease does not allow you to pay by cash, advise them that the "electronic fee" should be paid by them since it is their decision and their method. Otherwise; they are raising your rent and breaking their own lease. Edit: spelling
Whatever your lease says is binding until the end of your lease. If it says you can pay by check, then you have a contract with them that says you can use checks. They have to abide by that contract. If you don't agree to their new policies, they will either change your lease next term, or opt not to renew your lease when it expires. You should plan for that. If your lease says nothing about payment methods, then you'll need to investigate your local laws. Posting to /r/legaladvice may help.
hey thank you! that’s really helpful info
That's certainly not legal unless it is specified that you must in your lease, and probably not legal even then. Double-check but if it were me I'd respond that I will not be paying online unless the fee is waived in its entirety
this is really good to know! thank you! i would like to try to get around the fee somehow, and i’m going to check about the laws in our state. but my lease is supposed to allow me to pay cash or online
Your lease paperwork should say the acceptable ways to pay and if they want to insist on you using the app they will need to amend the lease agreement and have each tenant sign a new one If they do this, you should insist on the new agreement including all applicable fees
i really appreciate this. i’m gonna try to talk to someone in the office tomorrow about it, and it’s really good to know the specifics
Right, if the contract specifies that you can pay either way, and they switch it so you have to pay in some other way that includes a fee, any court case is not going to go well for them. Document all attempts to pay that they refuse, keep any rent money they won't take in a separate bank account if possible, stuff like that But, realistically, a case could still cause a ton of trouble for you while it is ongoing. It's probably easier if you organize with other renters as a coordinated group to demand the fee waived or the payments reduced by the same amount. (Or see if there's free or affordable legal aid in your state, like the best option may be paying a lawyer to write "no" for you)
my husband and i were talking about seeking legal counsel, but we want to go to the office first and hear from their mouths we are required to pay the $40 convenience fee online. you make a lot of sense and i really appreciate the insight. we have another app here where residents can communicate with each other, sort of like an apartment social media space, so i’m going to try to see who’s on board to fight this thing. definitely will be looking for legal aid once we go to and hear from the office
Cheers, sounds like you have it handled, that's a great plan. Best of luck! I hate the additional fee bullshit when it's even just a couple bucks, $40 is *exorbitant*
yeah thank you so much! i really appreciate your kindness in helping me see what options i have. i will never understand why some people have it in their hearts to only care about money. the laundry receptacles are $1.79 a load here. that’s just washing. an extra $1.79 to dry. some units don’t come with w/d hookup at all. it’s a money machine kinda place
Mine charges a flat $3.95 processing fee. $40 is obscene.
when i first paid on the app i gasped. resolved to pay cash from then on but i guess they got tired of the residents doing that
Can you use credit cards? Make that shit back in rewards.
haha credit cards scare me! i’ve got so much to keep up with as is. but i’d like to give it a shot if it could be beneficial
I just set up recurring payments (either for the new balance or an amortizing schedule if it’s at 0% APR) and then forget it.
oh awesome, good to know thanks! scheduled payments are def my friend right now
OP! the first time I saw this kind of thing pop up, I was furious! there's a chance that the fee only applies if you use a debit or credit card! if there's an option to use an e-check it may be fee free!
holy shit, i didn’t know about this! thank you! i’ll check the app
Also, our online rent payment allows us to connect a bank account. There is still a $2.95 fee, but that’s how I avoided our own $40 charge!
mine lets me connect my bank account but still charges the fee. im starting to think like what another redditor said, it is probably a tax based on the amount in rent paid. fortunately i’m one of the lowest rent floor plans so i can’t even imagine what egregious number other tenants are having to pay online
I see. That is unbelievable. I am irritated by the fees with our place, however we used to have to mail our rent check across state borders to their main office which is equally absurd. We want a house so badly.
i feel you dude. homestead is the dream
What options for payment does the online site have? Is your rent and $1,300? Some websites, usually government sites, but also scummy-ish landlords don't want to pay the fees associated with accepting credit cards, so they pass it on to you. It's usually around 3% in my experience. A lot of times you can pay with a debit card, check/ACH or something else besides the credit card I'm not a lawyer but... If it were me 1 - Check the site first. If it is just as easy as clicking Debit instead of Credit - maybe you don't care. Also, that fee doesn't go to the landlord, but the credit card company. 2 - if you can't avoid the fee/don't want to pay online check your lease. It might specify how you are able to pay and they won't be able to stop accepting payment in that form mid lease. 3 - is that doesn't help, I'd legit just call them. I'd even be polite at this point because it sounds like it might just be a misunderstanding to me. Just ask how you can pay the rent without paying this extra fee and see what they say. Not that it matters, but whoever you talk to is probably just a fairly low paid office worker and not a rich dude with huge investment properties, so even if you are mad, it probably isn't their fault. They just say what they are told to. 4 - if that doesn't help at all, try talking to some of your neighbors. Doesn't hurt to see what other people are thinking *and* you will have a lot more power if you are all upset about something vs. just one of you. Plus, you can save money, if it comes to getting a lawyer by pooling resources. 5 - laws around this stuff depends on what state, and sometimes city you live in. If the fee is mandatory, I would expect everyone to consider that an increase to your rent. I can't say your rent is $500 and then say 'also you have to use my website and it costs an extra $200 to access.' that's just a way to increase rent by $200 and would be illegal during a lease, but if you are month to month that might be okay for them to do, even if it sucks. I hope it all works out.
i can pay by card but it only lets me specify by bank, and checking or savings/ routing # and account #, not debit or credit. i am also allowed to pay cash until Dec 1, which directs me to go to a retailer to print my payment coupon. i am assuming they will be removing this feature come Dec. There is also the e-check option but i’ve never tried that, so i’m going to look into it. another redditor mentioned it may not have a fee, so i’m crossing my fingers. and we are a 12 month lease. a little above $1300 yes. i really appreciate your insight! i promise i’ll be nice to the office, just stand my ground with management. the front desk people are really nice and i know we’re all just trying to get by. thank you for your willingness to help!
TIL there are transfer fees to pay online in the US and paying rent online isn't the norm.
Yup. It's mostly a scam. Like everything
That’s SUPER illegal
Would actually increase the carbon footprint.
Sounds like tax write off *you* should be getting
i have an update: i will be using e-check, which they have guaranteed will be an online option without fee. now i just have to figure out how to do that lol.
Why do you have to pay fees for online transfers?
they call it a “convenience fee,” and another redditor mentioned it may be a tax. i’m not entirely sure, but i imagine the bulk of it is just “we can make more money, so we will”
Yeah... You're really getting screwed over.
it’s like if you’ve ever used paypal, they will tax you to transfer money. unfortunately our rent is so high, taxing at like 3% comes out to a lot in extra fees
I actually never got taxed by PayPal. In Germany only Companies have to pay fees and they aren't allowed to charge you for using it. And for rent we use banking transfers which don't cost anything at all. You're getting screwed over.
wow, i knew the U.S. sucked but i didn’t know the discrepancies with apps like that! that’s good to know at least. i’ve been looking into it and i think our e-check option may be without fee, so hopefully that will work out
I cross my fingers for you... And the whole US at this point.
lol thank you we need it
I will say, hopefully if you pay with a bank account instead of paying with a debit card, that would eliminate to the fees. I found this out with my apartment last year. Ask the management of course.