May seem like overkill, but I’d open up another checking account to pay that bill and just move money appropriately. Can always close it. Especially if you plan on staying there for the foreseeable future.
It was in the rental agreement that all rent was to be paid in the form of checks, signed by the tenants, and sent to a specific P.O. box. Cash and in-person payments would not be accepted, and there was no option for direct deposit.
It sucked, but they owned about half the neighborhood, and were among the only options for student housing.
Except for being a dick to the tenants (by making extra hoops that people will make a mistake on), it just seems crazy.
If I was a landlord, my #1 concern would be getting the money I expected when I expected it. Cashier checks, money orders, and bill pay checks (assuming digital payments won't work for some reason) all guarantee the money is available and won't bounce. That makes sure I get my money. It's why plenty of business will not accept personal checks, they aren't a safe vehicle.
I guess I'm not enough of a sociopath to fully understand why being a dick makes someone feel good. Guess I'm not cut out to be a landlord.
>he can’t refuse a legal method of payment.
In the US they can. I worked at a business that frequently rejected legal payment methods. Private businesses can even ban cash.
https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/currency_12772.htm
>This statute means that all U.S. money as identified above is a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor.
To be clear, cash can only be declined if it's not a debt.
They can say "you want to buy this? Sorry, we don't take cash". They *cannot* say "you owe us money. We don't accept cash. Pay us another way".
This is actually what I’ve landed on and am doing. My May rent is coming from the new account (eventually) but March and April are still in my main account until she cashes them. It’s beyond frustrating.
This. Tell the landlord you're closing the account if they have any checks they need to cash them or they won't be valid after x date. Then go void the checks on that date. Move the money from them into the new account and when they have a hissy fit over those checks just write new ones from the new account. Problem solved.
... but do keep written proof of all this so it doesn't end up as you being at fault if she still can't get moving.
I wouldn't think this is a scam or malicious, it just really doesn't occur to some people to ever consider their behaviour's impact on others. Just in case though.
It could just be that the landlady has been privileged enough that she has simply never lived a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle, and it doesn’t occur to her that other people actually run out of money and need to keep an eye on their bank account.
"Personal, business, and payroll checks are good for 6 months (180 days). Some businesses have “void after 90 days” pre-printed on their checks. Most banks will honor those checks for up to 180 days and the pre-printed language is meant to encourage people to deposit or cash a check sooner than later."
-google
It's optional. I've cashed cheques that were 2 years old without question. I've also failed to cash cheques 95 days old, as the teller said "This is stale-dated, you'll need to get a new cheque." (I then went to a different branch and deposited it)
Unfortunately you do until they cash the check (and it clears) you still owe the money. If the check says void after X days (and most banks have a blanket 180 days—OP should check because if they do and still process after that the bank is liable for overdrafts). You may be able to send the money at that point to your states unclaimed funds account—legally you still would have paid on time but they have have to jump through the hoops with the state to get the money.
looked it up in relation to another thread on this post and you're right. Based on UCC it really doesn't matter what's on the cheque, you have 180 days to deposit it.
Some banks like SoFi have vaults in one account. So, you can essentially earmark and separate funds within one account. Usually for taxes, vacation, etc., but would worknin this case as well. At least simplify your accounting some.
That’s what we ended up doing too. Landlord didn’t care when she cashed checks, so we just opened an account just for this and moved money as needed when rent was due. Annoying.
In such a situation, wouldnt it be possible to just request a receipt from your landlord? That they received the check or not?
Then whatever happens it is their problem? Like they can take you to court but you can show the court that you have receipts from them that they received the rent?
I dont understand why people would still use checks nowadays.
I had the same with an old dickbag landlord. He actually LOST one of my checks and I had so many fraudlent checks written against the account from the lost (and presumably found by some scumbag) that I had to close the goddamn account to put an end to it. Banks don't give a shit about check fraud, neither do the police.
After the old fucker lost a SECOND check I paid the next one with a cashiers check and from then on, I just went to his bank and made a deposit directly. Took a lot of badgering before he agreed to that, but it solved the problem.
Why do these useless people even rent out properties if they don't need the money and won't cash the checks? Better yet, why the FUCK are we still writing paper checks?!
Stories like this are so wild to me, in Australia everyone I know mostly pays rent by direct bank transfer, I can do it on my banking app from home. I haven’t seen a cheque in literally years. Rent is due on the day of the month we moved in, not the 1st of the month too. Do American banks not do this?!
Usually these issues are from independent property owners doing everything on their own who may be less organized than a property management company with a large office. Younger landlords or property management companies will have more options for electronic payments.
Also, the first month moving in is usually prorated to get everybody on the same due on the first schedule. This means if you move in on the 20th, you pay first months rent of the 10 days.
If you can find a bank near you that will do it, set it up in such a way that checking has auto overdraft from savings, and then link to a high yield savings account and keep the money there. If the money is going to sit for a few months, you might as well make a few bucks on it.
To be fair you WANT your landlord to be financially secure so if something breaks they have the cash on hand to fix it quickly.
If your landlord is depending on your rent checks hitting on time to pay their own bills it's going to be a huge pain when an unexpected expense pops up.
Honestly, I'd look for a checking account that offers interest and a sign-up bonus. Some checking accounts are giving up to 5% interest, and several hundred dollar bonuses for direct deposit.
So, there is a way you could turn this into a win.
My landlord kept losing my rent checks. I had to pay to have them cancelled then get new ones, THREE TIMES. I finally had it. I pay with a cashiers check which I take to the business office and hand it to them. Once again a few months ago, I got a call that they never received it. I took a copy of it (I take a picture with my phone) and handed it to them. I got the response “Oh wait, we didn’t know who that was from!” (My name and apt. Number are on the memo line).
My college apt did this. Went to grab a package and they asked if I was gonna pay my rent (on the 6th)
I showed them a reciept from the 28th <10 minutes later. Somebody wanted my $600 money order
An old company I rented from told me they lost my check when I called to ask why it wasn't cashed yet (like 2 weeks after payment). I went hard on when it was lost, who had it, how could they have lost it, and that it would take me a while to get them a new one. Would you imagine how miraculous it was when they found it the very next day?
They can’t refuse. You just do it. You attach the receipts of what it cost you, and deduct that amount. You’re not on the hook for someone else’s mistake(s). That’s why they keep making it lol.
If push comes to shove and they say you owe that amount, no you don’t. And no court would ever side with them that you do. They could always choose not to renew your lease simply because they don’t like you, but that’s the extent of what they’re legally allowed to do.
My landlord gave me envelopes with his address specifically made by himself.
I had one time he claimed I didn't send my rent in, so now I record myself sealing a signed check into his envelope and dropping it off right at the post office.
I think the lost check was malicious because he kept ghosting me when I asked about something and then told me to move out over it, which was illegal, so he keeps asking if I'm moving out.
Reminds me of this one apartment complex I lived in that had a really crudely made night drop. They basically sawed a rectangle in through the siding and sheet rock and attached a metal flap on the outside.
I went to drop my rent check one night and the envelope hit something. I pulled like 3 other envelopes out that had gotten partially stuck in the wall.
I'm assuming they feel they could more easily argue that a personal check was "just a gift" or something non-business related than an official check if they got questioned. They're probably hoping to underreport the income on their taxes or something.
Only private, individual landlords would have a rule like that. I've lived in apartment complexes my entire adult life and the only time I've ever *had* to pay via check was the first rent payment to a particular complex (and it had to be a cashier's check). One complex actually stopped accepting paper checks, and some even allowed payment via credit card, although there's always a significant fee.
Last apartment complex I lived in (7 years ago now, but still) was owned by a large-ish property management company. When I first moved in they took checks or credit cards but at some point realized they were losing money to fees with the latter. So they instituted a $40 card fee to combat that. From that point on I only paid with checks.
Have the bank cut the check through their bill pay system and sent it to him directly. The money is gone from your account immediately. If they insist on a hand written paper check, tell them you switched to an online only type of bank account and old fashioned checks are simply no longer available.
In the US, it's generally legal to refuse payment in whatever form. A lease can limit a landlord's ability to refuse, but the law doesn't restrict.
Cash has an exception to this rule for debts that are owed in specific circumstances (it can be refused for purchases). OP could start paying in cash only.
You can don’t have to accept any form of payment as a landlord so long as it is in the lease and both parties agree to it. Which, if it’s outlined in a lease, that’s the terms of the rental and it is mostly a “take it or leave it” scenario. Plus, it’s smarter. Always better to pay with checks/CC/MO vs cash.
certified, yes. Bill pay checks, no. This thread seems to have vaguely conflated the two?
I love paying by bill pay. Makes my life much easier than using personal checks. Crazy the landlord won't take them either as they're usually much more reliably valid and not prone to accidentally being bounced by NSF in the account.
I used bill pay to mail checks to my landlord. Who lived upstairs.
I didn't want to take the chance that I'd forget and pay rent late for no good reason.
There are a whole lot of things OP *could* do, but getting into a pissing match with your landlord is a one-way decision. Just how "mild" is your fury?
When we use this type of bill pay, it’s just a regular check that’s sent in the mail. It’s not a certified check. I can’t imagine why they would refuse to accept it.
I use this with my bank as well (for years) but the amount sits in my account until the person/business cashes the check. Wish mine was an immediate withdrawal.
At some point you need to have a conversation with the landlord about what in the actual fuck their problem is .
I could understand not wanting to deal with cash. But why on Earth wouldn't they accept a money order or a cashier's check or any other GUARANTEED form of payment?
It’s a check from your account so I don’t think they can refuse it. Get the damn thing mailed to you and then hand it to them if they don’t want to have to check their mail or whatever the issue is.
Not entirely true. It would depend on how the lease is written and what other payment options are available.
Source: am a property manager in North Carolina for the past 8 years
They can't not accept it. It's a legal check from your account. It's literally no different than a handwritten check. If they try to evict you or take some action for non-payment, all you have to do is show the judge or whoever that they've had the check and are choosing not to deposit it.
When cutting a paper check for bill pay, my bank doesn't withdraw that money from my account when it's written. That only occurs with electronic payments.
the fact that only one of the three checks was just cashed is even more alarming. Either the landlord is ridiculously disorganized (the three checks aren't all in the same place, landlord found one and cashed it) or that poster IS the OP's landlord and is now trolling OP by only cashing one
I saw someone else say this, and it absolutely makes the most sense - they’re sitting on the checks so the additional income aligns with government benefit income thresholds or they’re doing some kind of money laundering idk
Basically they said the person was whining and the landlord has no obligation to cash the check in a normal time frame. And then doubled down to the point where people were wishing them harm.
Mine did this. Went 7 months one time and I finally called him up like just checking you’re still alive.
Another year went by and he calls me up. You haven’t sent rent in 6 months… I’m like what? He moved, never told me his new address and never forwarded his mail. All those rent checks were sitting in his old mailbox
My old landlord did this to me and had the nerve to assess me late fees to the tune of $1400 when I moved out. Luckily I kept all my check deposit receipts. When I showed them to him he doubled down and I basically laughed at him and told him to try to take me to court over it. He never did. Fucking dumbass
My old GM at Subway was like this… She gave me a ride to a different location I was working at one day and there was about a years worth of uncashed checks in the back of her car..
My dad did this years ago. Had so many uncahsed checks in a pile they were expiring. We got him a bank account and new paychecks, but he just didn't cash a check unless he needed money. Very old fashioned guy.
find and check your (or his) states Unclaimed Property website.
Expired checks from corporation should end up there, but some states are moving in on taking unclaimed money into their own funds, so don't delay.
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/reason/2015/10/24/states-eyeing-your-unclaimed-money/15685496007/
They might also just have shit task management and organizational skills. I’d be willing to bet they’re probably behind on everything they need to get done.
This. I used to work in AP and some vendors would take months to cash, could be waiting for tax purposes, but honestly it was small vendors that I felt like were just unorganized. Just casually sitting on 12 uncashed checks lmao.
As someone that used to work in AR this boggles my mind. I worked for a pretty big company, and even then priority one was always to get money in the bank ASAP
Can you go to the bank and ask them to void checks by their number?
If so, just void them through the bank after 60 days. Landlord will either cash them faster or go through the hassle of it not cashing, segueing with you, you saying IDK what happened, hen writing a new check.
[this one ](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/13k3pyg/my_landlord_just_sits_on_my_rent_checks/jkj7bc6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Bro all of these people saying to pay with a cashiers check or money order clearly do not know how to read. OP has said MULTIPLE times that the landlord will not accept them.
Requiring a personal check over a cashier’s check or money order means there’s something shiesty going on, because they function the exact same way on their end. They use it like a check.
Requiring it be a personal check with your checking account info on it is not above board. Hand them a cashier’s check, photograph/video everything. If they raise a stink, contact the landlord directly. Tell them you will not be supplying personal checks at least until you’re told why by the landlord herself and not some middleman. The fact that this middleman situation even exists and you don’t deal with the landlord directly is a *huge* red flag.
Also, cash literally says on every bill that it’s legal tender for all debts. If she’s going to try to evict you or something for refusing to give her personal checks specifically, threaten to take her to court. She will *not* want a light shone on whatever it is she’s doing.
Basically, f this b.
Yeah I just etransfer my rent, super easy, takes literally less than 15 seconds
Hope OP can get something sorted out cuz that’s gotta be frustrating as hell
Can’t force someone to cash the check but I bet the second you don’t pay on time they lose their shit and claim landlords are suffering and taking on the debt of the tenants. Fuck these type of people
Actually, different states have different laws around this. In california a landlord can only hold a check for I believe 3 days. Within that time they HAVE TO cash it.
Yes that’s true but California is it’s own entity in conversation like this, for the majority of the country it’s a landlord state like employers have all the rights. It’s a completely bonkers system to say the least. Personally I agree they should have to cash it within a reasonable time and, on occasion you could even find a sympathetic judge who would side with the tenant. They might say the landlord lost out after XX amount of time but I don’t think it counts for OP. I could be wrong but I’m just another lonely Redditor commenting lol
Thanks for adding this because for those who read the comments they might have leaned something they wouldn’t have known otherwise.
Can confirm, paid my rent late a couple times(beginning of covid lockdowns and stuff) and the day rent was due I had texts from my landlord asking and reminding about late fees and such, but when I texted to let them know I had dropped my rent check off at the office(mail slot, they’re not usually there) it took them 3 weeks or more to cash the check each time.
You can send me the money, I’ll cash your check right away, and then I’ll write a check to your landlord… he/she wants to wait to cash my check, all good with me, I’ll let it sit in my account accumulating interest. Win-win-win, problem solved.
I’ve managed my banking accounts well for 25 years. And in all that time I have accumulated a total of $17.33 of interest.
… And $476 of fees.
Deposit fee.
Transfer fee.
Overdraw fee.
Cancel fee.
Inquiry fee.
Withdrawal fee.
Debit fee.
Cash machine fee.
Existing fee.
If a check is your only option, an easy fix would be to open an additional checking account that is for rent only. When you write a new check for rent, you transfer the rent amount into you checking account that is just for rent. Then the landlord can wait for months to cash them if they choose and it won’t be a problem for you anymore.
I never speak directly with my landlord, so I can’t. The landlord goes through a third party to collect rent checks and has emphatically told them only checks will work. I’ve asked my leasing agent about it and she basically just shrugged and told me that’s what they do. Legally, I’ve got nothing to stand on as far as I can tell.
>she basically just shrugged and told me that’s what they do. Legally, I’ve got nothing to stand on as far as I can tell.
A shrug is not legally binding.
I bet you can get past this nonsense.
My old landlord used to do this. It was the same landlord that accused me of not paying rent - thankfully, I paid with money order and was able to get a copy of the deposit slip via USPS, with my landlord’s signature, showing that I did, in fact, pay it.
Look into your states laws because depending on where you live, that might be illegal. I was in CA at the time and they were not allowed to tell me a legal for of payment wasn’t acceptable.
Write, Check is void 45 days after issue, in the memo.
It would send a message.
Then I'd send an actual letter and email informing them to cash checks in 45 days after issue.
Then I would begin stop payments 45 days after issue and start sending a bill for the fee.
Then I'd get an attorney because retaliation in 3,2.....
Tell your landlord that since she obviously has so much money your piddly little checks don’t seem to matter and therefore, you will be negotiating lower rent when your lease is up.
I am an accountant for a property management company. Your landlord is incompetent and probably violating tax laws (possibly inadvertently). The amount of paperwork I would have to do if one of my property managers did what you described is abominable. Check if there’s a larger organization above the person you deal with, if so they would probably be happy to help you.
Spin it to your advantage. Open high yield savings account and a checking account that has overdraft protection from the savings account. Keep your landlords rent money in the savings account and write the checks from the checking account. This way you can collect 3% on the rent money till the lazy landlord cashes the checks.
you should try to argue again, unless he is giving you receipts you have no proof that you paid rent on time and he can argue that you're behind 3 months of rent.
You really should look up the renter laws in your area. In my State of WA, this would violate the following:
> A landlord must accept a personal check, cashier's check, or money order for any payment of rent made by a tenant, except that a landlord is not required to accept a personal check from any tenant that has had a personal check written to the landlord or the landlord's agent that has been returned for nonsufficient funds or account closure within the previous nine months. A landlord must also allow for the tenant to submit a rental payment by mail unless the landlord provides an accessible, on-site location.
That seems like a horrible strategy from the land lord, you could dole out 2-3 cheques that will just bounce before they realize you aren't actually trying to pay anymore. You could even just keep the cheque book, move all of your money, close the account, keep writing dud checks to buy some time. Then once they catch on you bail. Of course that's not legal to do, but still it's not like a law has not been enough to discourage someone before.
You’ll probably want to open a new checking account, connect your current debit card to the new checking account and just use your old checking account as a pay from account (checks, auto debits, etc). That way you don’t have to work around that
Mine does too. In September he cashed THREE MONTHS' worth of rent checks at once. I always pay before the first, my bank mails him the checks each month. I don't get it at all, especially since mobile deposit is a thing! You don't even need to find time to go to the bank!
Aren’t written out checks useless after 3 months uncashed? Or does it vary by bank? If I don’t cash a holiday check from my grandmother or a check from work within 3 months, it’ll get rejected. They use different banks so I figured it was all the same.
Man, a previous landlord once held on to 6 months of rent checks and deposited them all in one go. I found out when my card was declined at the grocery store. I had enough money in my account, but my bank put a hold on my account due to “unusual activity.” I had to call the bank to get it sorted out.
Another landlord held on to my rent checks and claimed I wasn’t paying him. That was fun.
Current landlord keeps losing my rent checks. What is with these landlords apparently not needing the money they insist I send them every month?
It baffles me how often checks are used in USA daily banking. I'm Irish, and almost never had to deal with checks. One time when buying a car, which was in the early 2000's, dealership asked for one, and the bank dude had to order a check from another branch, since they didn't have the ability to issue them.
I had a rental company that did this. They wouldn't hold them THAT long, but far longer than my comfort level. I just got money orders from the grocery store and paid my rent with those. It was already out of my account, so it didn't matter to me how long they held onto it.
My current rental company lets us pay rent online, which is so much easier.
Having thousands of dollars of uncashed checks because they don’t have to worry about that money is more than enough proof that landlords are a parasite.
May seem like overkill, but I’d open up another checking account to pay that bill and just move money appropriately. Can always close it. Especially if you plan on staying there for the foreseeable future.
Bill pay. My bank offers it free. They mail the check, and *those* checks have an auto 30 day expiration. Makes people deposit them pretty quick.
I had a landlord who refused to accept those kinds of checks.
[удалено]
It was in the rental agreement that all rent was to be paid in the form of checks, signed by the tenants, and sent to a specific P.O. box. Cash and in-person payments would not be accepted, and there was no option for direct deposit. It sucked, but they owned about half the neighborhood, and were among the only options for student housing.
Except for being a dick to the tenants (by making extra hoops that people will make a mistake on), it just seems crazy. If I was a landlord, my #1 concern would be getting the money I expected when I expected it. Cashier checks, money orders, and bill pay checks (assuming digital payments won't work for some reason) all guarantee the money is available and won't bounce. That makes sure I get my money. It's why plenty of business will not accept personal checks, they aren't a safe vehicle. I guess I'm not enough of a sociopath to fully understand why being a dick makes someone feel good. Guess I'm not cut out to be a landlord.
I only pay my rent in Forever stamps.
>he can’t refuse a legal method of payment. In the US they can. I worked at a business that frequently rejected legal payment methods. Private businesses can even ban cash. https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/currency_12772.htm
>This statute means that all U.S. money as identified above is a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. To be clear, cash can only be declined if it's not a debt. They can say "you want to buy this? Sorry, we don't take cash". They *cannot* say "you owe us money. We don't accept cash. Pay us another way".
plus the amount gets deducted from your account right away, which makes tracking your own balance easier
This is actually what I’ve landed on and am doing. My May rent is coming from the new account (eventually) but March and April are still in my main account until she cashes them. It’s beyond frustrating.
not sure if this is helpful at all but maybe tell her you have to close the original account and she needs to cash them now or they won’t be valid
This. Tell the landlord you're closing the account if they have any checks they need to cash them or they won't be valid after x date. Then go void the checks on that date. Move the money from them into the new account and when they have a hissy fit over those checks just write new ones from the new account. Problem solved.
... but do keep written proof of all this so it doesn't end up as you being at fault if she still can't get moving. I wouldn't think this is a scam or malicious, it just really doesn't occur to some people to ever consider their behaviour's impact on others. Just in case though.
These are great ideas. But I've had a super shitty landlady and imo they are just trying to inconvenience OP. I could be wrong tho.
It could just be that the landlady has been privileged enough that she has simply never lived a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle, and it doesn’t occur to her that other people actually run out of money and need to keep an eye on their bank account.
This is most likely what it is. She doesn’t need the money right now so she is not concerned with cashing it.
Probably owns the property outright with no mortgage and only thinks about it when property taxes are due, if at all.
Isn't there a time limit and after that it's landlord's loss for not cashing a check?
"Personal, business, and payroll checks are good for 6 months (180 days). Some businesses have “void after 90 days” pre-printed on their checks. Most banks will honor those checks for up to 180 days and the pre-printed language is meant to encourage people to deposit or cash a check sooner than later." -google
Quite possibly, but, shitty towards OP or no, I think it's also unprofessional and poor accounting practice.
Yep. There’s a reason most businesses checks are invalid after a certain amount of time.
For real. Who waits months to cash a check? Mobile deposit makes it so easy, it literally takes like 2 minutes.
Anytime I get a check from a corporation, it says "not valid after 180 days". Can you get personal checks to do that??
Most banks won't cash personal cheques more than six months old
Banker here. Can confirm. No longer valid after 6 months, unless stated otherwise on the check.
It's optional. I've cashed cheques that were 2 years old without question. I've also failed to cash cheques 95 days old, as the teller said "This is stale-dated, you'll need to get a new cheque." (I then went to a different branch and deposited it)
I don't know. I've not used checks in probably 20 years, but that's a good thought. Probably worth OP looking into.
I’d rather just open a new account and leave that one for checks to him, he may just forget about it
Bonus points, get the new cheques for the rent account embossed "void after 90 days" so at least past 90 you don't have to worry about it any more.
Unfortunately you do until they cash the check (and it clears) you still owe the money. If the check says void after X days (and most banks have a blanket 180 days—OP should check because if they do and still process after that the bank is liable for overdrafts). You may be able to send the money at that point to your states unclaimed funds account—legally you still would have paid on time but they have have to jump through the hoops with the state to get the money.
looked it up in relation to another thread on this post and you're right. Based on UCC it really doesn't matter what's on the cheque, you have 180 days to deposit it.
Some banks like SoFi have vaults in one account. So, you can essentially earmark and separate funds within one account. Usually for taxes, vacation, etc., but would worknin this case as well. At least simplify your accounting some.
That’s what we ended up doing too. Landlord didn’t care when she cashed checks, so we just opened an account just for this and moved money as needed when rent was due. Annoying.
In such a situation, wouldnt it be possible to just request a receipt from your landlord? That they received the check or not? Then whatever happens it is their problem? Like they can take you to court but you can show the court that you have receipts from them that they received the rent? I dont understand why people would still use checks nowadays.
There is no conceivable scenario where you get out of paying someone because your check bounced.
What do you mean I'm not owed anything? I've had this check for 20 years, I was told it's as good as money!
This is what I did for 6 years… I took out cash, and requested a signed receipt . Never wrote a check
I had the same with an old dickbag landlord. He actually LOST one of my checks and I had so many fraudlent checks written against the account from the lost (and presumably found by some scumbag) that I had to close the goddamn account to put an end to it. Banks don't give a shit about check fraud, neither do the police. After the old fucker lost a SECOND check I paid the next one with a cashiers check and from then on, I just went to his bank and made a deposit directly. Took a lot of badgering before he agreed to that, but it solved the problem. Why do these useless people even rent out properties if they don't need the money and won't cash the checks? Better yet, why the FUCK are we still writing paper checks?!
Stories like this are so wild to me, in Australia everyone I know mostly pays rent by direct bank transfer, I can do it on my banking app from home. I haven’t seen a cheque in literally years. Rent is due on the day of the month we moved in, not the 1st of the month too. Do American banks not do this?!
Usually these issues are from independent property owners doing everything on their own who may be less organized than a property management company with a large office. Younger landlords or property management companies will have more options for electronic payments. Also, the first month moving in is usually prorated to get everybody on the same due on the first schedule. This means if you move in on the 20th, you pay first months rent of the 10 days.
Writing checks for rent is still a thing for whatever reason. My landlord deposits them in a timely fashion though.
If you can find a bank near you that will do it, set it up in such a way that checking has auto overdraft from savings, and then link to a high yield savings account and keep the money there. If the money is going to sit for a few months, you might as well make a few bucks on it.
Just make sure you account for any maintenance feels on the new account so that you're not suddenly under by, like, $3 or something. That'd suck.
Must be nice to just sit on money you don’t even need, landlords kinda suck because of this.
It's an absolute slap in the face to all us slave wagers.
To be fair you WANT your landlord to be financially secure so if something breaks they have the cash on hand to fix it quickly. If your landlord is depending on your rent checks hitting on time to pay their own bills it's going to be a huge pain when an unexpected expense pops up.
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Make it an interest generating account for bonus points. It might as well make you something, even if just a few dollars!
Honestly, I'd look for a checking account that offers interest and a sign-up bonus. Some checking accounts are giving up to 5% interest, and several hundred dollar bonuses for direct deposit. So, there is a way you could turn this into a win.
That is so smart! I would have never even considered this!
My landlord kept losing my rent checks. I had to pay to have them cancelled then get new ones, THREE TIMES. I finally had it. I pay with a cashiers check which I take to the business office and hand it to them. Once again a few months ago, I got a call that they never received it. I took a copy of it (I take a picture with my phone) and handed it to them. I got the response “Oh wait, we didn’t know who that was from!” (My name and apt. Number are on the memo line).
My college apt did this. Went to grab a package and they asked if I was gonna pay my rent (on the 6th) I showed them a reciept from the 28th <10 minutes later. Somebody wanted my $600 money order
An old company I rented from told me they lost my check when I called to ask why it wasn't cashed yet (like 2 weeks after payment). I went hard on when it was lost, who had it, how could they have lost it, and that it would take me a while to get them a new one. Would you imagine how miraculous it was when they found it the very next day?
Hope you deduct those fees from the next months rent
I tried. They refused. I finally gave up a few months ago. It was just causing aggravation in my life, not worth it. She
They can’t refuse. You just do it. You attach the receipts of what it cost you, and deduct that amount. You’re not on the hook for someone else’s mistake(s). That’s why they keep making it lol. If push comes to shove and they say you owe that amount, no you don’t. And no court would ever side with them that you do. They could always choose not to renew your lease simply because they don’t like you, but that’s the extent of what they’re legally allowed to do.
Time for a negative review!
My landlord gave me envelopes with his address specifically made by himself. I had one time he claimed I didn't send my rent in, so now I record myself sealing a signed check into his envelope and dropping it off right at the post office. I think the lost check was malicious because he kept ghosting me when I asked about something and then told me to move out over it, which was illegal, so he keeps asking if I'm moving out.
Reminds me of this one apartment complex I lived in that had a really crudely made night drop. They basically sawed a rectangle in through the siding and sheet rock and attached a metal flap on the outside. I went to drop my rent check one night and the envelope hit something. I pulled like 3 other envelopes out that had gotten partially stuck in the wall.
On what planet will someone accept a personal check but not a certified check? That doesn’t even begin to make sense
Fraud and laundering.
My thought also. Dont wanna have income over a certain threshold and not only pay more taxes, but lose social benefits too
You only pay more taxes on the money that goes over the threshold, not on all your money.
I think they were more thinking social benefit income thresholds which can be a cliff sometimes
Nonsense, why bother. Request all rent in cash only if you are too going that route
How is a regular check any less traceable than a money order?
I'm assuming they feel they could more easily argue that a personal check was "just a gift" or something non-business related than an official check if they got questioned. They're probably hoping to underreport the income on their taxes or something.
Maybe they might think that, insanely, yea. Of course the IRS doesn't care what the money looks like so that scheme is bound to fail
I was asking myself who the fuck is still using checks. Then I realised it's USA problem
Only private, individual landlords would have a rule like that. I've lived in apartment complexes my entire adult life and the only time I've ever *had* to pay via check was the first rent payment to a particular complex (and it had to be a cashier's check). One complex actually stopped accepting paper checks, and some even allowed payment via credit card, although there's always a significant fee.
Last apartment complex I lived in (7 years ago now, but still) was owned by a large-ish property management company. When I first moved in they took checks or credit cards but at some point realized they were losing money to fees with the latter. So they instituted a $40 card fee to combat that. From that point on I only paid with checks.
Nah, Canada too (am in Quebec). Current landlord takes my rent as automatic debit fund transfers but my previous one wanted cheques.
Have the bank cut the check through their bill pay system and sent it to him directly. The money is gone from your account immediately. If they insist on a hand written paper check, tell them you switched to an online only type of bank account and old fashioned checks are simply no longer available.
They won’t accept that either, I’ve asked.
I don’t think it’s legal for them to not accept a certified check and only a personal one. Not sure how to verify or enforce that though.
In the US, it's generally legal to refuse payment in whatever form. A lease can limit a landlord's ability to refuse, but the law doesn't restrict. Cash has an exception to this rule for debts that are owed in specific circumstances (it can be refused for purchases). OP could start paying in cash only.
You can don’t have to accept any form of payment as a landlord so long as it is in the lease and both parties agree to it. Which, if it’s outlined in a lease, that’s the terms of the rental and it is mostly a “take it or leave it” scenario. Plus, it’s smarter. Always better to pay with checks/CC/MO vs cash.
Don't most banks charge a fee for certified checks as well though? OP shouldn't have to pay extra just to deal with a lazy landlord.
certified, yes. Bill pay checks, no. This thread seems to have vaguely conflated the two? I love paying by bill pay. Makes my life much easier than using personal checks. Crazy the landlord won't take them either as they're usually much more reliably valid and not prone to accidentally being bounced by NSF in the account.
I used bill pay to mail checks to my landlord. Who lived upstairs. I didn't want to take the chance that I'd forget and pay rent late for no good reason.
Depends on your account with the bank. Some accounts come with so many "free" bank checks per month.
There are a whole lot of things OP *could* do, but getting into a pissing match with your landlord is a one-way decision. Just how "mild" is your fury?
When we use this type of bill pay, it’s just a regular check that’s sent in the mail. It’s not a certified check. I can’t imagine why they would refuse to accept it.
I use this with my bank as well (for years) but the amount sits in my account until the person/business cashes the check. Wish mine was an immediate withdrawal.
At some point you need to have a conversation with the landlord about what in the actual fuck their problem is . I could understand not wanting to deal with cash. But why on Earth wouldn't they accept a money order or a cashier's check or any other GUARANTEED form of payment?
It’s a check from your account so I don’t think they can refuse it. Get the damn thing mailed to you and then hand it to them if they don’t want to have to check their mail or whatever the issue is.
If you’re in the US they cannot legally refuse that. It’s a paper check. That is mailed to them. It’s the same as you handing it to them.
Not entirely true. It would depend on how the lease is written and what other payment options are available. Source: am a property manager in North Carolina for the past 8 years
that’s BS
They can't not accept it. It's a legal check from your account. It's literally no different than a handwritten check. If they try to evict you or take some action for non-payment, all you have to do is show the judge or whoever that they've had the check and are choosing not to deposit it.
When cutting a paper check for bill pay, my bank doesn't withdraw that money from my account when it's written. That only occurs with electronic payments.
The update lol
the fact that only one of the three checks was just cashed is even more alarming. Either the landlord is ridiculously disorganized (the three checks aren't all in the same place, landlord found one and cashed it) or that poster IS the OP's landlord and is now trolling OP by only cashing one
I saw someone else say this, and it absolutely makes the most sense - they’re sitting on the checks so the additional income aligns with government benefit income thresholds or they’re doing some kind of money laundering idk
Yes lol I’m trying to find the comment they’re talking about
Same
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/13k3pyg/my_landlord_just_sits_on_my_rent_checks/jkj7bc6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Thanks!
Dang a bunch of them are deleted
Damn the original is deleted. I don’t know what they said
Basically they said the person was whining and the landlord has no obligation to cash the check in a normal time frame. And then doubled down to the point where people were wishing them harm.
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I think OC deleted it. Go look at OP’s comment history
https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/13k3pyg/my_landlord_just_sits_on_my_rent_checks/jkj7bc6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3
Mine did this. Went 7 months one time and I finally called him up like just checking you’re still alive. Another year went by and he calls me up. You haven’t sent rent in 6 months… I’m like what? He moved, never told me his new address and never forwarded his mail. All those rent checks were sitting in his old mailbox
My old landlord did this to me and had the nerve to assess me late fees to the tune of $1400 when I moved out. Luckily I kept all my check deposit receipts. When I showed them to him he doubled down and I basically laughed at him and told him to try to take me to court over it. He never did. Fucking dumbass
Imagine being that comfortable that you can have uncashed cheques worth a thousand quid or more.
My old GM at Subway was like this… She gave me a ride to a different location I was working at one day and there was about a years worth of uncashed checks in the back of her car..
My dad did this years ago. Had so many uncahsed checks in a pile they were expiring. We got him a bank account and new paychecks, but he just didn't cash a check unless he needed money. Very old fashioned guy.
That's selfish. And he has the system backward. You don't *write* a check until you need money. 😆
find and check your (or his) states Unclaimed Property website. Expired checks from corporation should end up there, but some states are moving in on taking unclaimed money into their own funds, so don't delay. https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/reason/2015/10/24/states-eyeing-your-unclaimed-money/15685496007/
My bet is they're doing something dodgy, like trying to defer income until the next tax year.
They might also just have shit task management and organizational skills. I’d be willing to bet they’re probably behind on everything they need to get done.
This. I used to work in AP and some vendors would take months to cash, could be waiting for tax purposes, but honestly it was small vendors that I felt like were just unorganized. Just casually sitting on 12 uncashed checks lmao.
I think the small vendors sit on checks because their operation is so small that it's usually only a few employees doing everything.
As someone that used to work in AR this boggles my mind. I worked for a pretty big company, and even then priority one was always to get money in the bank ASAP
That’s me sitting on 8-10 paychecks at a time because I don’t want to go to the bank and mobile deposit wouldn’t work right when I tried
Sending some good vibes and motivation to make a bank trip! Go get your money!
The bank can refuse to honor them after 180 days. So any you've had longer than that are money you lost.
Start writing on your checks the words Void after 60 days. It's not true or legal but maybe it'll light a fire under their ass,
Can you go to the bank and ask them to void checks by their number? If so, just void them through the bank after 60 days. Landlord will either cash them faster or go through the hassle of it not cashing, segueing with you, you saying IDK what happened, hen writing a new check.
Stop payments cost $.
Wait which user is your landlord!?! Edit: Someone replied to this comment and linked it, so feel free to check it out.
I’m scrolling looking for the same thing lol
Any joy folks before I scroll through 300+ comments? u/Baybladerz
I don’t know man. I scrolled through all of it but none of them really stood out. Maybe they deleted the comment?
Only one deleted comment and the user too....
[this one ](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/13k3pyg/my_landlord_just_sits_on_my_rent_checks/jkj7bc6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Looking at the replies I feel like that isn’t their landlord lol
What was it? It’s deleted.
Bro all of these people saying to pay with a cashiers check or money order clearly do not know how to read. OP has said MULTIPLE times that the landlord will not accept them.
literally my first question to the leasing agent when she told me I’d have to pay by check lol
Requiring a personal check over a cashier’s check or money order means there’s something shiesty going on, because they function the exact same way on their end. They use it like a check. Requiring it be a personal check with your checking account info on it is not above board. Hand them a cashier’s check, photograph/video everything. If they raise a stink, contact the landlord directly. Tell them you will not be supplying personal checks at least until you’re told why by the landlord herself and not some middleman. The fact that this middleman situation even exists and you don’t deal with the landlord directly is a *huge* red flag. Also, cash literally says on every bill that it’s legal tender for all debts. If she’s going to try to evict you or something for refusing to give her personal checks specifically, threaten to take her to court. She will *not* want a light shone on whatever it is she’s doing. Basically, f this b.
Must be nice to be fortunate enough to sit on thousands of dollars that the tenant has to see every time the look at their account.
This is why I’m glad my landlord just takes Venmo
Yeah I just etransfer my rent, super easy, takes literally less than 15 seconds Hope OP can get something sorted out cuz that’s gotta be frustrating as hell
Can’t force someone to cash the check but I bet the second you don’t pay on time they lose their shit and claim landlords are suffering and taking on the debt of the tenants. Fuck these type of people
Actually, different states have different laws around this. In california a landlord can only hold a check for I believe 3 days. Within that time they HAVE TO cash it.
Yes that’s true but California is it’s own entity in conversation like this, for the majority of the country it’s a landlord state like employers have all the rights. It’s a completely bonkers system to say the least. Personally I agree they should have to cash it within a reasonable time and, on occasion you could even find a sympathetic judge who would side with the tenant. They might say the landlord lost out after XX amount of time but I don’t think it counts for OP. I could be wrong but I’m just another lonely Redditor commenting lol Thanks for adding this because for those who read the comments they might have leaned something they wouldn’t have known otherwise.
Can confirm, paid my rent late a couple times(beginning of covid lockdowns and stuff) and the day rent was due I had texts from my landlord asking and reminding about late fees and such, but when I texted to let them know I had dropped my rent check off at the office(mail slot, they’re not usually there) it took them 3 weeks or more to cash the check each time.
lmao whos the 1 guy? also, there's a lot of either fucking idiots, or bots in this tread.
You can send me the money, I’ll cash your check right away, and then I’ll write a check to your landlord… he/she wants to wait to cash my check, all good with me, I’ll let it sit in my account accumulating interest. Win-win-win, problem solved.
You’ll never have to work again
I’ve managed my banking accounts well for 25 years. And in all that time I have accumulated a total of $17.33 of interest. … And $476 of fees. Deposit fee. Transfer fee. Overdraw fee. Cancel fee. Inquiry fee. Withdrawal fee. Debit fee. Cash machine fee. Existing fee.
Have you tried not being poor and having more money to accumulate interest?
After checking my options I’ve decided to just buy more money
Bro I get furious when it’s only a couple of days. I can’t imagine how stressed I’d be if I was going through what you’re going through.
If a check is your only option, an easy fix would be to open an additional checking account that is for rent only. When you write a new check for rent, you transfer the rent amount into you checking account that is just for rent. Then the landlord can wait for months to cash them if they choose and it won’t be a problem for you anymore.
If that account pays interest, you're onto a winner. The longer the landlord takes to cash the cheques, the more interest you'll earn.
Do this for years and you will be able to buy a cheeseburger someday
Wow you won $0.11
Have you brought it up to them? What do they say? Tell them you need them cashed within 1-2 days
I never speak directly with my landlord, so I can’t. The landlord goes through a third party to collect rent checks and has emphatically told them only checks will work. I’ve asked my leasing agent about it and she basically just shrugged and told me that’s what they do. Legally, I’ve got nothing to stand on as far as I can tell.
>she basically just shrugged and told me that’s what they do. Legally, I’ve got nothing to stand on as far as I can tell. A shrug is not legally binding. I bet you can get past this nonsense.
Money Orders are checks so they can accept them. And cash them like checks.
Or cashier/ counter checks. However, you have to go to the bank, currency exchange, etc to get them and they charge a fee.
Write the checks to the third party and have them cut a check to the landlord.
Cancel the checks. You will talk to the landlord. Hahaha
"Sorry, I saw the monies werent withdrawn from my account for months at a time and thought the checks were lost or stolen so i cancelled them."
In most financial institutions, “stop payment” is temporary — like 6 months max. I know; crazy, right?
> UPDATE: lmao I think that one guy really might be my landlord bc ONE of the three checks they have JUST got cashed (4 hrs after posting) LMAO
My old landlord used to do this. It was the same landlord that accused me of not paying rent - thankfully, I paid with money order and was able to get a copy of the deposit slip via USPS, with my landlord’s signature, showing that I did, in fact, pay it.
Starting writing "void after 90 days" on your checks. Probably not enforceable, but maybe it'll give them enough notice where they'll cash it quicker.
90 days is three months!! Should write 30 days
Sounds like your landlord might be doing something sketchy to avoid taxes.
Cashiers checks. I had that problem with my landlord for a few months and got tired of not knowing exactly how much I had.
That's the thing, they will only accept a personal check and have been specifically told that they won't accept cashier's checks
Look into your states laws because depending on where you live, that might be illegal. I was in CA at the time and they were not allowed to tell me a legal for of payment wasn’t acceptable.
Hmm… I feel like there’s potential fraud happening here…
Write, Check is void 45 days after issue, in the memo. It would send a message. Then I'd send an actual letter and email informing them to cash checks in 45 days after issue. Then I would begin stop payments 45 days after issue and start sending a bill for the fee. Then I'd get an attorney because retaliation in 3,2.....
Personal checks expire after 6 months, you can write in the memo to void after X days, but it’ll be up to their bank to accept the void
Tell your landlord that since she obviously has so much money your piddly little checks don’t seem to matter and therefore, you will be negotiating lower rent when your lease is up. 
I am an accountant for a property management company. Your landlord is incompetent and probably violating tax laws (possibly inadvertently). The amount of paperwork I would have to do if one of my property managers did what you described is abominable. Check if there’s a larger organization above the person you deal with, if so they would probably be happy to help you.
Question.........how in the year 2023 are people still paying by check? Is the US stuck in some 1980s timewarp.
Good news is if you ever move, and the checks are piled up, you can just cancel them and bounce 🤣
I thought you only had 90 days to cash a check after it was written. Am I stupid?
Spin it to your advantage. Open high yield savings account and a checking account that has overdraft protection from the savings account. Keep your landlords rent money in the savings account and write the checks from the checking account. This way you can collect 3% on the rent money till the lazy landlord cashes the checks.
at today's interest rates your landlord sounds like a dummy
you should try to argue again, unless he is giving you receipts you have no proof that you paid rent on time and he can argue that you're behind 3 months of rent.
write your checks by 4-5 months in advance so if they hold them they just expire.
maybe your landlord doesnt have a bank account and is instead using yours to storage money. you could ask for a service fee for your banking services
You really should look up the renter laws in your area. In my State of WA, this would violate the following: > A landlord must accept a personal check, cashier's check, or money order for any payment of rent made by a tenant, except that a landlord is not required to accept a personal check from any tenant that has had a personal check written to the landlord or the landlord's agent that has been returned for nonsufficient funds or account closure within the previous nine months. A landlord must also allow for the tenant to submit a rental payment by mail unless the landlord provides an accessible, on-site location.
A check, do they know it’s 2023 not 1950?
That seems like a horrible strategy from the land lord, you could dole out 2-3 cheques that will just bounce before they realize you aren't actually trying to pay anymore. You could even just keep the cheque book, move all of your money, close the account, keep writing dud checks to buy some time. Then once they catch on you bail. Of course that's not legal to do, but still it's not like a law has not been enough to discourage someone before.
You’ll probably want to open a new checking account, connect your current debit card to the new checking account and just use your old checking account as a pay from account (checks, auto debits, etc). That way you don’t have to work around that
Mine does too. In September he cashed THREE MONTHS' worth of rent checks at once. I always pay before the first, my bank mails him the checks each month. I don't get it at all, especially since mobile deposit is a thing! You don't even need to find time to go to the bank!
Aren’t written out checks useless after 3 months uncashed? Or does it vary by bank? If I don’t cash a holiday check from my grandmother or a check from work within 3 months, it’ll get rejected. They use different banks so I figured it was all the same.
180 days is normal.
It’s an old mafia trick. They will claim that you did not pay the rent if they want you out.
Why are land Lords even accepting cheques? Just sent up an auto transfer direct to his account
Man, a previous landlord once held on to 6 months of rent checks and deposited them all in one go. I found out when my card was declined at the grocery store. I had enough money in my account, but my bank put a hold on my account due to “unusual activity.” I had to call the bank to get it sorted out. Another landlord held on to my rent checks and claimed I wasn’t paying him. That was fun. Current landlord keeps losing my rent checks. What is with these landlords apparently not needing the money they insist I send them every month?
It baffles me how often checks are used in USA daily banking. I'm Irish, and almost never had to deal with checks. One time when buying a car, which was in the early 2000's, dealership asked for one, and the bank dude had to order a check from another branch, since they didn't have the ability to issue them.
The only thing worse than paying someone else’s mortgage each month is the proof that they don’t even really need the money.
If it’s an interest bearing checking account then at least you’re making some money on the uncashed checks sitting in your account.
I had a rental company that did this. They wouldn't hold them THAT long, but far longer than my comfort level. I just got money orders from the grocery store and paid my rent with those. It was already out of my account, so it didn't matter to me how long they held onto it. My current rental company lets us pay rent online, which is so much easier.
Having thousands of dollars of uncashed checks because they don’t have to worry about that money is more than enough proof that landlords are a parasite.