Date Posted: 2012-07-26 11:03:28
Site Posted: Myproperty.ph
The phrase ‘cash is king’ is popular for a good reason: it’s money that you can use as soon as you get it. Even in the world of renting, cash can often put you in your landlord’s good graces, which is why many tenants believe it’s a good method of paying rent.
Whether it’s your landlord’s preferred mode of payment or you’re trying to avoid a bounced check, paying for your rent in cash can also backfire if you’re not careful. Here are some reminders to make sure you’re protected when using cash to make the monthly payments of your apartment for rent.
Deal only with authorized people. Remember to hand your money either to the landlord himself or the person who manages the apartment. As much as you trust them, you shouldn’t ask maintenance people to hand your rent money to the landlord because you’re in a hurry and he’s nowhere to be found. Also, if the landlord’s relative or friend claims that he was sent to collect your rent, tell them you feel more comfortable handing it to the landlord yourself.
Don’t forget to ask for a receipt. The rent receipt is the strongest proof you have that you’ve already paid the rent, so make sure that you don’t part ways with the landlord without it. Even if you gave your rent money to the landlord himself, he can easily forget that you already paid if he handles a lot of rentals. If he’s more on the shady side, he might simply claim that you never paid for the month just to get more money from you. See to it that the receipt bears the date, your name as the payer, the amount you gave and the landlord or authorized person’s name and signature.
Hold on to your receipts. Yes, you gave the money to the landlord and you got a receipt afterwards, but if you lose that receipt, you have no solid proof of payment. Holding onto your receipt will make sure that you have something to show the landlord if he asks you about your rent. Be sure that it’s also in a place you can easily access so you won’t have to turn the apartment upside down looking for it when you need it.
Nonpayment of monthly rent is one of the grounds that a landlord has for evicting a tenant. Following these tips will make sure that you don’t get into a fight with your landlord and risk being kicked out even if you know you’ve already paid your rent.
Jillian Cariola, Writer
(cover image by John Ridley)
Recently Posted Properties from Around the Web:
