How rent gets collected, and what happens when it does not
Rent is due the 1st, most residents pay by the 5th, and late fees are assessed after the 5th. RL Property Management collects 96% of rent by the 5th and disburses owner funds on the 10th.
The short version
- Rent due the 1st of the month
- Late fees assessed after the 5th
- 96% of rent collected by the 5th
- Owner disbursement on the 10th, about 2 to 3 business days to appear in your account
- Online payment, with automated late notices
- $0 to post a 3-day or 30-day notice to vacate
- Month-to-month tenancy carries a 20% rent increase
- 91% portfolio occupancy
When is rent due?
Rent is due the 1st. In practice many residents pay between the 1st and the 5th, because that is when paychecks land. Late fees are assessed after the 5th.
That distinction is the whole art of rent collection. A payment on the 3rd is a pay cycle, not a warning sign, and treating it like one burns goodwill you will want later. A payment that has not arrived by the 6th is information. Across our portfolio, 96% of rent is collected by the 5th as of September 2026.
What does the collection month look like?
Same sequence every month, so nobody has to decide in the moment what to do about a late resident.
- The the 1st
Rent is due in full. Residents pay online, and most of the portfolio is on autopay or pays within the first few days.
- The 2nd to the 5th
The practical payment window. A payment landing on the 3rd is not a problem, it is a pay cycle. Automated reminders go out during this stretch.
- After the 5th
Late fees are assessed. Contact escalates from automated notice to direct outreach, and we find out whether this is a one-month cash problem or the start of a pattern.
- Notice stage
If rent stays unpaid, a notice to vacate is posted at the property. We do not charge to post a 3-day or 30-day notice. R.C. 1923.04 requires at least three days before an action can be filed, and the notice has to carry a specific paragraph of statutory language to be valid.
- Filing
If the notice period runs out with rent still unpaid, the case is filed in Franklin County. Hard cost is $273, and our fee to manage the case is $199.
- The 10th
Collected funds are disbursed electronically to owners, and take about 2 to 3 business days to appear in your account.
What happens if my tenant does not pay?
Nonpayment gets handled as a process, not a negotiation. Late fees are assessed after the 5th. Outreach escalates from automated notice to a direct conversation, which is where you learn whether this is one bad month or the start of a pattern. If rent stays unpaid, a notice to vacate is posted, and we charge nothing to post a 3-day or 30-day notice.
Filing is the last step, and the numbers are published: $273 in hard costs, which is $150 to the eviction attorney and $123 to Franklin County, plus $199 to us to manage the case. Roughly 3.5% of rentals reach eviction, litigation or another significant dispute.
The expensive mistake owners make here is waiting. Every month of delay is another month of rent you will not collect, and it does not improve the odds of getting paid. The full process is on the evictions page.
Why do owners get paid on the 10th and not the 6th?
Because the month has to close before it can be reported. Payments clear, maintenance invoices post, and the statement you receive matches the deposit you receive. Disbursement is electronic on the 10th and takes about 2 to 3 business days to appear in your account.
A manager who pays out faster than the books close is either holding a float or sending you a number that will be corrected later. Neither is better than waiting four days.
Rent collection questions
When is rent due, and when are late fees charged?
Rent is due the 1st. In practice many residents pay between the 1st and the 5th. Late fees are assessed after the 5th. Across the portfolio, 96% of rent is collected by the 5th as of September 2026.
When do I get my money?
Owner funds are disbursed electronically on the 10th of each month and take about 2 to 3 business days to appear in your account. The gap between the 5th and the 10th exists so the month closes cleanly: payments clear, maintenance invoices post, and the statement you receive matches the deposit you receive.
What happens if my tenant does not pay rent?
Late fees are assessed after the 5th and contact escalates from automated notice to direct outreach. If rent stays unpaid, a notice to vacate is posted, and we charge nothing to post it. If the notice period passes without payment, the case is filed in Franklin County. Hard costs are $273 and our fee to run the case is $199. Roughly 3.5% of rentals reach eviction, litigation or another significant dispute.
Should I accept a partial payment?
It depends on what stage you are at, and it is not a casual decision. Accepting partial rent after a notice has been served can affect the case. We check with the eviction attorney before accepting one mid-case, because in some circumstances it restarts the process. What we can say without qualification is that a payment plan should be in writing, dated, and specific about amounts.
Do you offer payment plans?
Case by case, and only in writing. A resident with one bad month and a documented reason is a different situation from a resident who is three months behind and not answering. The first is worth working with, because a turn plus a vacancy plus an eviction costs the owner far more than a two-month catch-up plan.
What happens when a lease ends and the resident stays?
A month-to-month tenancy carries a 20% rent increase. Month to month costs the owner real money in unpredictability, so it is priced accordingly, and it gives the resident a clear financial reason to sign a renewal instead. A renewal is $250 to the owner.
Can I collect rent myself and hire you for everything else?
No. Rent collection is where lease enforcement actually happens, and splitting it from management means the party with the leverage is not the party with the information. It also breaks the accounting, since your statement would no longer reflect what was actually collected.
What if I take over a unit whose resident is already behind?
That is a delinquent tenant setup, and it is $300. It applies when we take over an occupied unit whose resident owes more than $300. The fee covers reconstructing the ledger, establishing what is actually owed, and starting collection from a defensible position rather than a guess.
General information about property management practice in Central Ohio, not legal advice. Statutes and local ordinances change, and your own situation may differ.
Last verified September 2026. Reviewed by Peter Lohmann, Principal Broker and CEO.
Where to go next
Stop chasing rent
Rent comes in on a published schedule, late fees are enforced without a phone call from you, and your deposit lands on the 10th.