Renting home....late Fee

Hi A.! I'm a working professional, but also a landlord. Rent is due on the 1st, but I give the tenants until the 5th to pay. After the 5th, I charge a $50 late fee, but if they call me and say they are having a hard time this month or had to repair a vehicle, etc. I will give them a break and not charge the late fee as long as they pay ASAP. Seems as though you should ask for a reduced fee or a little assistance, since they are family...Hope this helps. D. H.

my husband manages several rentals around the area. the late fee is $5 a day that it is late he will usually wave the fee as long as you have called to make an arrangement before the 1st. $150 is VERY high and if this is from a family member by blood or marriage It makes them look bad as well. Any way if you are interested is maybe finding somewhere else to live let me know like I said my husband has many properties around the area and he has bus partners that have several too. They all follow the same lease. You arent locked in for a year it is a month to month lease as long as you give a 30 day notice you can leave at anytime. you caan e-mail me at ____@____.com

Hi A.,
I agree with the others who responded. I rented a house to a family, and every time they paid rent late, I paid my mortgage late. However, if things are that rough for you, you should try to sit down with the people you are renting from and try to work something out. I agree that it isn't fair to expect them to give you special treatment since you are family, however, WE ARE ALL HUMANS here on this earth, and they should try to work with you. Ask them to re-negotiate the due date if it doesn't affect their mortgage, or to just waive the fees for a couple of months so you can get on your feet and get it worked out. Even credit card companies will work with you if the circumstances call for it! So, unless they are in dire straights themselves, they may consider it. If you put that $150 in the bank each month for a few months instead of paying late fees with it, you could have yourself in a position to pay rent without hurting your budget. Late fees are such a huge waste of money!

Finally, I agree that rent is the most important bill you have other than food and gas which obviously you cannot live without. However, if you have an extra $150 a month for late fees, you need to re-work your budget to work for you. If you have more money left over from one paycheck than another, then you need to bank that extra money until rent time. That is what our family has to do. We pay all the bills on the 1st which makes for tight times until the 15th, so we set aside money from that 2d paycheck so that we can have it on the 1st. It takes discipline, but if you can do it, you will obviously have an extra $150 (at least) by the end of the month.

Also, if they won't work with you on the due date of your rent, start calling other companies and asking them to. Many, many of them would rather know they will get their money, so they will work with you. I would think about trying to shave money on other bills to work this out as well. Cut the cable, and if you have a cell phone, cut the home phone. That should save you around $100-$200 per month. There are all sorts of things we think we can't live without that we can.

Good luck working this out.

Are you renting in an apartment community? If you are your contract should tell you what your late fee is

Sweetie I think this is extremely high and I would think that renting from family would be a little easier. Do you think that your husband could talk to his family regarding this. The places I've known don't usually start their late fee until it's 10 days late. $150 is just tooo high.

The $150.00 is high but that's not really the point here. What you need to do is find out what can be done to eliminate your having to pay this fee each month. Especially when you clearly don't have an additional $150.00 to budget into your rent every month.
I am surprised that your family isn't more willing to work with you. First I would make sure that as soon as I know I'm going to be late on my rent then I would contact your landlord and let them know.
Second, I would ask if you could move your due date back by a few days. It seems that your budgeting is a bit off which is causing this issue in the first place. If I were in your shoes I would see if there was anything I could do to push my rent's due date back. (i.e. if it's due on the 1st of each month then I would see if I could push it back to being due on the 5th of every month.)
The last thing I would do is re-budget my monthly expenses so that when you get paid, you are able to pay your bills on time. Credit Card companies will work with you, and so will Cell Phone Companies and your Power Company and whomever you have your car loan through. Since your landlord is proving to be a stickler on your rents due date and if he won't agree to moving it's due date then I would contact my credit card companies and/or utilites and see if they can work something out with you so that you can get back into the swing of getting your rent paid on time.
A lot of times, if you have a car loan, you can call them and they will allow you to skip a months car payment and they will just add it on the back of your loan. This will give you that additional cushion financially to ensure your funds are straight and that your rent is paid on time.
It's when you don't communicate with those you owe money too, when things get sticky and uncomfortable for all involved. Just suck up your pride and communicate and you will find that most everyone will want to help you and will work with you.
Good Luck!!

It is a lot. It isn't unusual. It's to encourage you to get your stuff together and pay on time. Obviously it isn't a surprise and it was probably in your lease I'm guessing. Your landlord has bills and probably a family too. You are lucky he's renting to you and you shouldn't try to take advantage of him just because he's family. But, that said, you could talk to him and see if you could get the fee waived. If you don't like it you can always move at the end of your lease. You may have noticed that I have strong feelings on the matter. We own an apartment building and we have had to take money away from our family to cover expenses of the rental building when necessary because the tenants aren't holding up their end of the deal. Landlords have to replace roofs, repaint, repair everything and it isn't the moneymaking windfall for the landlord that most people think. Good luck

A., I promise I'm not trying to be mean, just want you to look at things from the "landlord's" perspective, even if they are family.

I think whether or not the late fee is too high depends on when you start incurring the late fee and what the rent is. Just because you are family doesn't mean you aren't financially impacting someone who can't really afford to take up your slack; this can be very difficult for them. If you had been late a few times and weren't family, would they have evicted you by now? Maybe that's their way of being nice?

If the late fee starts on the 5th day of the month and it's that high immediately, yeah, I think it's a little ridiculous... if that's the late fee on the 15th of the month, then I think it's fine. My mortgage company may not charge me the same late fee I'm charging you but if I have to pay the mortgage without the rent being in hand, then shouldn't I be compensated (you certainly wouldn't expect me to let the house go into foreclosure while you're living there)? I am a proponent of a daily late fee versus a flat fee. Otherwise, why would you bother to pay at all until the next month once you are already late? But I digress...

We are pretty lenient on our tenants in that they don't start incurring a late fee until the 10th of the month. BUT we also encourage on-time payments by giving them a small discount if it's paid by 2nd day of the month (yes, we have a mortgage on that house that has to be paid too and I don't like waiting to pay it until the 15th). If my tenants don't pay by the 15th of month, they will have a $150 late fee ($25/day starting on the 10th) and I can begin the eviction process. Iin other words, don't even start thinking you can be that late and still continue to live in my house. My husband and I have worked VERY hard to have good credit so we wrote very specific late-fee and eviction processes into our lease to help mitigate the risk.

That being said, I took the perspective that there is a mortgage on the house you're renting and that you could be negatively impacting your extended family's financial situation. If there isn't a mortgage and you're family is still being that strict about the late fee, I think I'd start figuring out where I was moving to when the lease is up.

Wow! Family (by marriage) gouging you like that! I'm a realtor licensed in NC. I own a home in NC and I rent here in GA. A. $150 is really high. Especially these days when good renters are so hard to come by. I've lived in my current rental for one year and I also have a high late fee, $100 which is late after the 3rd (crazy). I was determined to never, ever give them an extra dime for the rent so I never paid late. A year later I am ending my lease, I've found another comparable rental here in McDonough for $475 less and a $35 late fee (which I never plan to pay) which is late after the 6th (whew, I can breath better). My credit is good with my current landlord and my new ones are happy to see me coming. I'm assuming you live in Georgia. Georgia has the highest late fees I've seen in any state and I've lived in NJ, NY, CA, and NC. I rent out my home in NC in which I charge the max late fee the law allows, $49.50. My tenant is usually a couple of days late and I think that may be due to the late fee being so reasonable. To be honest with you, I'm just happy if she pays by the 15th (mortgages are late on the 16th but my late fee on the mortgage is only $34 and they will not report it if I call them).

Anyway, back to you, it wouldn't hurt to start by giving them a heads up when you'll be late and pleading with them for a little slack on the late fee. The problem with that however is that it is not very responsible and you should really only attempt that one time if possible. They are your family (by marriage) but this really is a business deal. You signed the contract and you need to hold up your end of the bargain, period. Otherwise, the best way to deal with this going forward is: 1) the obvious, do your best to pay your rent on time (I don't mean to be condescending I know things are tough for many people these days)but one day you'll need them to provide a reference for the next landlord/creditor/employer and you want it to be a good one right? You never know what you might need them for so please don't burn your bridges 2) When your lease is up, if you are planning to stay - renegotiate the terms. There are so many homes out there right now with very reasonable rental rates. $150 is excessive and I'm sure you can come up with a thousand better ways to spend that. I hope this helps, I know it was long. Best wishes to you and your family.

PS. When I am a little short on my rent and know I'll have it in a few days or so, I'll write the check, let it overdraw my checking account, and return the funds asap!!!!! (crucial because you don't want to ruin your credit with your bank!!!!!!!!!) My bank charges me $29 for an overdraft but it beats paying a $100 late fee.

That is a lot but every agreement varies. Our late fee is $28, but then penalties are high if you go longer than 5 days.

Hi A. your Family is take advantage of you and your family i do unerstand it is in the contract for late free but not 150.00 after 5 five days normally people 30-50 can extra incoming help you to be on time creating a second income with out a second job hope this help C.
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Our rent is due on a week to week basis. Here, we pay $5/day each day the rent is late. It use to be only $1/day. I can't believe your late fee is so high, but I guess some places want to make sure you pay your rent on time. Good luck to you!

Since you signed the contract I would see if they will sign an amendment moving your due date by 5 - 7 days with only the interest for these extra days being added to your principal balance. It's certainly worth a try. I know they probably have the problem of a due date on the mortgage on the house you are renting but maybe they will do this. V.

A.,

The late fee is often a percentage. It depends on what you are paying per month on whether it is excessive. And yes, it sounds like it may be. The challenge is that if you are too late with your rent and (s)he can't pay the mortgage on time then that is probably her/his late fee.

And I imagine the high fee was put there to encourage you not to be late. Is there a grace period in your written lease?

One of the things in credit is that the house payment, be it a rental or homeownership, no matter what, (except starvation) is first.

K.
RE/MAX Advanced

Hi A.,

Our rent is due on the 1st of each monh, so l send my check well in advance..But the other day the company who manage the property said that if rent not there for the 1st they are going to charge $100 then after 5 days $200...get that!! Ask if you can send your rent in 2 pay cycles?? its worth a try.
Good Luck!

I suggest you speat with your landlord or property manager. Things are hard for everyone right nowe with the economy the way it is. I rent 2 townhomes and my late fee is as follows: Rent is due by the 3rd of every month. On the 4th, there is a one-time $50 fee and then $5.00/day thereafter up to $50 (totaling $100). By the 15th, a 3-day Notice to Vacate is sent to the renter. My collgue charges $100 late fee after the 5th of the month. These are examples of what some landlords do. $150 is bit excessive I think, but your rental amount and the area you rent in may warrant that.

As a former landlord renting to family I recommend you have a very frank discussion about this with your landlord. Explain why you are having a hard time and discuss if moving the due date would help you. The worst thing you can do is to continue to ignore the issue and feel resentful of your relative.

One of the biggest issues of renting from family is family can see how you live and may take issue with your priorities. For example: if you have made any nonnecessary purchases while being behind in your payment. Thinks like how many DVDs or new games have you purchases, how often do you order pizza instead of cooking, take trips or go out to movies. Little things do add up.

I wish you the best of luck in this difficult financial time. Just stay open and honest with your family and try to work it out. BTW, my late payment was $50.

In reading other responses I am surprised that people think your relatives are being mean to you. You signed a contract so this is a business. Keep in mind your landlord has to pay the mortage, insurance and keep up the property. Keep your conversation on a business level. As one other person said, Credit Card companies will work with you on payments if you talk to them. Keep your conversation on the same level you would if talking to a Credit Card Company. Your relative will appreciate your honesty and business like way of dealing with this.

Yes, what a shame that someone is charging a ridiculous late fee. Check the law on how much the landlord can charge for a late fee. There may be a cap. Call or go to web site of Atlanta Legal Aid Society at www.atlantalegalaid.org. They may offer free advice on this. Another resource for your budgeting issues is Consumer Credit Counseling Service at www.cccsatl.org.

However, pay your rent FIRST. What bills are you paying before your rent? Why are these bills more important than keeping a roof over your head and why is it worth it to pay them and then an additional $150 that you do not have for late fees you could avoid?

Call 2-1-1 United Way for a list of other resources and referrals. Good luck!

You are renting from family and they are charging you that much of a late fee? I know that in my rental agreement the late fee doesn't start until after the 5th and it's $50 after that until the 10th. So $150 is pretty high. I am renting from my neighbor so it is not an actual company, but I think apartments do it that way as well. Maybe you should talk to them about the fee and see if there is something you can work out.

Also I have read some of the other responses and I don't know what some of these people are talking about. Obviously you are paying the rent late because you don't have a choice. I don't think you are deliberately putting off paying because you don't feel like it. Times are hard right now and even I have been late on my rent before, because I didn't have all the money to pay it.

Hi A.,

As a former landlord, rent fees are at the discretion of the landlord but they have to be outlined specifically in your lease. Some places charge a "per day" fee after a certain date. Some places charge a percentage. My assumption from the amount you mentioned is either your rent is around $1500.00 a month (as 150.00 is 10%) or you are renting from someone who has had a hard time renting this particular place. It may be something as simple as when the landlord receives his rent late, he is late on another payment and has to cover his own late fee.

All of these are legal. Your responsibility is to get it in writing before you move in. IF you are renting from family, I would discuss it with them if you don't feel it's fair. But from the other standpoint, they may not think you are being a thoughtful family member by giving them their money late. You said it wasn't a big deal until you were late a few times. Obviously it was a bigger deal than you thought.

Hope everything works out for you!

M.

I have a late fee of $150 after the 5th of the month.

Ok..as I in life have been humbled and think many others also should by being homeless....I was not drugs, drinking or buying things on credit not even a vehicle (since my ex and his over the internet new wife saw to that 15 yrs ago) I have no credit cards and think NO ONE not even the landlords should or anyone else. I will tell you this as some folks don't know what it's like to live pay check to pay check most landlords have a padding so not to have the finance co fold on them, we pay a late fee $100 not per day, if a person has to pay per day before I signed that I'd leave and rent else where. I hear all these story's of have landlords are taken advantage of but I have had landlords take advantage of me as well. Oh, and I was homeless 6 yrs ago why you ask?? because my husband trusted a company to pay him after he did some work they didn't and the house of cards came down...it's not hard to become homeless even without credit cards and trips to Disney, my family has never been there but if a landlord is changing $100 per day i bet his kids have been to Disney a few times. Sometimes bad things happen like when we tried to save our landlord money when a tree fell and cut it ourselves this past Feb. yeah it cost over $300 with insurance on the medical bills for my husband who was dressed head to toe to get ride of the poison oak on his body just a drop and be bad, we didn't have all the money the next month to pay our landlord and we had to pay for the removal of the tree since no one would take his credit card out of state....he understood after we provided receipts and sometimes if you just talk to someone they can works things out with you. Our landlord has a padding and feels other landlords should do the same it's hard to find renters period these days...we proved ourselves we've been in our place over 2 yrs and our last place was 3 yrs. I'd call the owners and see if you can work something out....best of luck.

i am currently renting myself. that to me seems a little steep as well. i have a ten day grace period, which i think everyone should have. after my ten day period, it is 5 dollars a day for every day there after. 150.00, that is at least a week worth of groceries for me.

A., you are one paycheck from being homeless...do not ever forget that! Let that guide you through your life and you will become more responsible. Tough love here...
MUST PAY:
rent, utilities, food, phone, gas, car insurance, health insurance...
There is something in life that helps you to learn great things and that is called a natural consequence, which will ALWAYS follow no matter what. There is nothing you can ever do about it unless someone gives you a break, which you won't get very often so YOU MUST PLAN WISELY from here on out. There is great pride and accomplishment when you don't have to experience some of life's harsh natural consequences because you act responsibly in all that you do in making decisions. Money rules our life and that's just the way the system is set up. What we do with it is up to us and sometimes we let our WANTS rule over us and then we don't have the NEEDS. Great decisions give you a peace of mind and security that can never be matched by anything. Get the monkey off your back and keep him off. GET RID OF CREDIT CARDS!!!!!!!We are making someone else richer while we get poorer. When you can, buy a little extra food and water to put away when times get really tough and that could happen without our even doing anything to cause it. Just one major storm, tornado, flood, terrorist attack or illness could devastate us , then we are looking for someone else to save us from starvation. We can do it ourselves! Remember the natural consequence will always follow. Start preparing now..
Learn now so that you can teach your children, that will be the greatest thing you can ever do for them besides loving them.

I would like to say that although I understand where the landlord is coming from, that amount is steep. I would also like to say that you are not the only one these days having to wait until the last minute (or a few minutes late) to pay bills! My husband and I have tried cutting back on whatever we can. We both have good jobs(I am a paralegal and my hubby is a catering manager), no car payments or credit cards and it seems like every month, our mortgage gets paid closer and closer to the 15th. My car is on the fritz, too, and I have no idea how we will fit a car payment in the budget. All anybody can do is the best they can. I wanted to let you know that you are not alone b/c some of these other posts seemed a little harsh. Not everyone understands what paycheck to paycheck really means or feels like, but I do. Not everyone has family that is in a position to help them out, either. And, not everyone goes out to eat frequently or has bills they can cut back on or goes to Disney World. It may be worth checking into late fees on some of your other bills, though. You may benefit more by paying rent on time, but sending in something else late that may have a lesser penalty for doing so. Best of luck.

We rent from a rental company and it is 10% when it is late. So our rent is 1090 and we pay 110 in late charges. I can't believe family would make you pay the late fee!

I volunteer for organization that works kind of like case workers. Many of our clients have late fees like this, often owing more than twice their rent by the end of the month. Our advice is always to pay the rent first before other bills. What good is your electricity being up to date if you aren't living in the place where it is on? Although it may be a pain to take a bus to work because you didn't make the car payment, at least you will have somewhere to call home. My advice to you is to pay your rent on time and in full. Then with the extra $150 you saved, make your insurance payment or electricity payment. Food also isn't a huge priority while getting back on track. There are food banks all over the Atlanta area or many churches have food pantries. My organization will never turn people away that need food, even if it is twice a month. We give them bags and bags of food with no obligation. And as others have suggested, taking a course in money management is a great idea (try non-profit organization or churches around the area).
Good luck.
D.

Yes that does seem high.... but if it's written into your lease you might be stuck with it. Check into that and see. And maybe talk to your renter... maybe if you can only make payment by the 7th every month she/he could work with you. If they can't it might be worth looking into a new apartment

Personally if I couldn't get it worked out... (be prepared to think I'm over the top here. I can hear mommies going 'SHE WOULD DO WHAT!!! LOL!!!) and I hate to admit this but in all honestly... my bank only charges a $30 overdraft fee. I would probably let the check overdraft and save myself the money.... and then get out of the apt as soon as I could. BUT before you do this know this has a consequence too!!!

We actually have a couple rental homes, and in the contracts that our tenants have signed there is a 150 late fee for rent paid after the 5th of the month. When you are the one paying the mortgage, you are counting on that payment to make your payment on time. In the past, if tenants have had difficulties being on time, we have offered to split the rent and allow them to pay half (or an agreed upon portion) on the 1st of the month, and then the rest in the middle of the month. That might be an option for you to discuss, rather than facing those fees.

Sorry, A....WHY are you doing this? If it is LATE, you have a fee. Same for credit cards, mortgages, etc. PAY ON TIME and PLAN FOR THAT. Give your credit score a BOOST not a HIT! At some point, this pay late behavior will bite you in the tush. You will be denied credit, a new house, etc. BECAUSE you have a late pay history. PS: It takes 6 mos. of on-time payments to get your score back into a decent range.
C.

A. R. Are there things that you could cut back on.. Cell phones, Cable-Sattelite,eating out etc. Times are so hard that we all have to take a step back and not try to live as we did just a few short years ago. Have you looked into renting somewhere else. I myself have a house that I rent and have problems with collecting rent. I have bills that I have to pay on time also and as these monies are promised every month (per contract)I depend on it. You HAVE to have a place to live so baby sit-walk a dog, try to do something to bring in a extra few dollars. If this sounds harsh I'm sorry. Although I do think 150.00 late fee is extreme. Next time be careful of what you sign. Good luck A.

A.,

I have been renting homes that we purchased along in our marriage of 30 years. We have a late fee attached to each lease. It is used to cover any check bounces and late fees charged to us by the mortgage company when we take your money and send it in late to them. If you have seeing that you will consistantly only be able to get your inlaws the money by the 12 of the month instead of the 1st of the mnth then arrange for a sit downa dn family mambe to family member ask for a new due date.

I had one renter that came to me and said I can not pay by the third but I can pay by the 10 each month may be change the pay due date. The next week she paid the week fromthe third to the tenth and then be began having her due on the 10th of the month. She lived in our house for 13 years and died this past February.

SInce this is your family go to them. If they are nore interested in making MONDY off of their own kids then find a new home to rent. Families help each other out in times of trial not heap on more pain. Bt if you or their son has had a record of irrisponsibility in paying on time then I can see them wanting to get the money because they don't even know IF the money is going to come in. In the state of Georgia there are rental laws in place to protect both the rentor and the landlords. $150 is almost like a loan sharke. I believe there is a limit by law as to what you can charge for late payments. BUt since this is a family mater I would start with a meeting for a new due date.

If that does not work out then you can go looking for a new home because you know you can afford $150 more each month. I would save the goverment rules until last. But I would offer to you that your call the Governors office and ask for that information. Learnign to be money responsibile is hard but if you ever plan on having anything of value in your life you must learn to pay your bills ON TIME. you could try to have another billl moved to another date by callingup your bank if you have a car oan with them or callingup the credit card peoplea nd ask for them to change your due date on a payment. I have always thought is was stupid to have all beill due on the same day unless you are getting paid the first of the month!

Good luck to you. In recap;
1.Ask for a meeting to change due date
2.Pay the money to move your back 10 days
2.Find a new house with a better landlord
3.Change due dates of other bills so you will have the money on time.
4 Call the gov's office and find out the standard, I believe is is nothing over 10% for a late fee.

Good luck and handle this with a mature attitude but i could never make money off my kids in time such as these.

C.

I think maybe u need to renegotiate with ur landlord. Late fees shouldn't be over $75 even in a house.

well, that is a lot for a late fee but if you are not holding up your end of the agreement (contract), then they are well within their rights to charge additional for rent being late. I don't think it should make ANY difference whatsoever that you are renting from family. Business is business and they have THEIR bills to pay the same as you and everyone else. If you cannot come up with the rent money each month and pay it ON TIME, then find a less expensive place to live.

If it is just a matter of money management, you must make your rent payment the first priority and be SURE you get it paid on time. If you are living paycheck to paycheck and money is tight, how can you afford to be throwing away $150 anyway?

The solution is simple. Pay the rent on time or get out and find a place you can afford.

Think about it. They can't pay the bank late! They are probably still carrying a mortgage on the place you rent... so you are putting them in a worse place by not having the money by the time THEY have to pay the bank. If you were my family, I would think you were quite rude to be putting off paying me, when I had extended my trust in renting to you.
A landlord cannot treat you differently because you are family. They still have their own bills to pay! If they are late it kills their credit, and they may not have the money to pay for the second mortgage for the house you are living in! SORRY!

I think that is very high for a late fee. If your rent is due on the first do you have any grace time? I know with like the water bill it is due on say the 10 but you do not have to pay the late fee if you have it by the 15th. Even with my house payment there is that grace time and I know that if we were to pay late the late fee is not that much.
Is it were you could maybe take half the rent out of one check and then take the other half out on the next check and get the payment in on time? I know that times are hard now for everyone. Also some places the rent covers not only the house but all the utlities. if that is the case then the late payment would not be high if you think about how much it would cost them in paying all of the late fees.

As a former real estate agent with an agency which did rentals AND as a former landlord, I can tell you this CAN be a normal event. Look at it from the owner and real estate office point of view -- they have mortgage payments, etc. which must also be paid on time or they get hit with a BIG late fee AND several of THOSE late fees can cause the mortgage company to "call the loan". That means the person will have x number of days (the mortgage company will say how many) to pay the ENTIRE balance due on the loan. Late MORTGAGE payments also cause the homeowner's credit score to GO DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The "High" fee is used as a deterent to the renter being habitually late on the rent -- taking a "oh, well, I'll pay the rent when it's convenient, as long as it gets paid sometime during the month it's due" can also be considered a "breach of contract" and the owner can evict you. SORRY, for the "wet blanket" news, but you did ask!

Is the late fee specified in the contract you signed?

it's usually 10% of the rent...is your rent $1500 renting from family!!?? some relatives, way to cut you a little slack, huh? but honestly, regardless of who you rent from though, they have to cover their mortgage on the property plus any late fees they accrue if you are late paying them and they can't cover it without receiving your payment FIRST.

before i moved out here i was also renting from familly - never again! i was going through divorce and had NO JOB but they still expected rent right on time and would complain if i was even a couple of days late...and they KNEW my tight financial situation. i know it's hard, but hang in there!

currently i have no cable, no house phone - only cell. any/all utilities/extras you can afford to lose that aren't necessities should go until you get your finances straight.

edit: fyi, in the place i live now, i asked the landlord to change my rent date from the 1st to the 15th...and i had all my utilities set up to be due on the first so that i don't get hit with everything all at once.

$150.00 late fee for five days wow! I would never agree to give someone such figure for a late fee,that's ridiculous.I understand they have bills to pay too,all of us do but that's too much.If i was someone renting a home to another family, if i have a heart i would never charge such a horrible late fee,not even to a stranger,my amount would have been $50.00.Because my mortgage is already covered and made a little for my self also, so why should i charge such a high late fee,i clealy have no reason.I am a landlord too. But i know a lot about families and their different faces they show.I used to live with my husband family at one time and they used to dry my husband pocket.Wasn't until we moved out of their way then we began to live a happy life that was fruitful.My advice is moved out,a lot of houses renting cheap out their and atleast their late fee is not $150.00.Some landlords out their are very good and would be strangers to you, but they are negotiable.So make up your mind and go before you regret.

I worked in proprety managemnt for years and we had a very strong lease that we used with our tenants. Rent was due on the 1st, late on the 2nd with a 10% late fee (i.e. $100 late fee on $1000/mo rent). If your rent is $1500 a month or more then your late fee is strong but acceptable. If you pay less per month, then it does seem excessive by industry standards.
Since you are renting from family and they know you are struggling while working and raising two little kids, maybe they could advance your due date to give you a chance to catch up. Maybe they could extend the due date by 5-6 days so you can get caught up and not waste more money on late charges that prevent you from having the money next month. If you are currently is on the 1st, maybe they could make your lease due on the 5th or 8th or 10th so you can pay it 'on time' the next month and save the $150 late fee for your other bills so you are ready to pay the rent in full by the next 5th/8th/10th.
Best wishes,
N.
mommy to ds8, dd6, dd3

It doesn't matter what everyone elses rate is or if you now think it is too high, if that is what is in the contract, you agreed to the amount when you signed the lease. You should have negotiated a lower rate then. You might talk to the Landlord and see if they will lower it due to special circumstances, otherwise you will have to pay it. Just remember to renegotiate this issue when your lease comes up for renewal.