Paying your bills on time might be a hardship sometimes. This is particularly true for bills like your rent payment due on the first day of every month. However, paying your rent late has real consequences, leading to late fees and potentially a disgruntled landlord – or something worse. It can also make it tough to qualify for a new rental home in the future since your current landlord is uncertain to provide you with a favorable recommendation if you are frequently paying late. To see if you’re paying that rent (and your other bills) on the dot each month, here are some strategies that can help.
Pay Online
Today, many San Antonio property managers offer online rent payments to their tenants. If yours does, you should take advantage of it. It’s one of the practical techniques to make sure you’re getting that rent payment in on time. Online payments are helpful as they move funds swiftly and securely from your account to your landlord’s bank. Many systems will even allow you to schedule a payment in advance for a specific date. Just make your payment a day or two before it’s due to allow for processing time.
Set Up Automatic Payments
Another sensible strategy to ensure you pay your rent on time is to set up automatic payments from your bank. Some landlords can help you set up ACH or other automatic transfers that will pay your rent for you on a specific date each month. You won’t have to be anxious logging in to submit your payment, as it will be all handled for you! Even if your landlord doesn’t offer automatic payments, you may be able to set up automatic payments through your bank or credit union. Explore your bank’s bill payment tools to see if yours offers this service.
Stay Organized
Creating a system for your bill payments, including your rent payment, can be pretty useful. If you are apt to leave things to the last minute, you may need to set up a particular date or set aside time each month to take care of all of your bills at once. It’s also essential to keep a file (either paper or electronic) including all of the information you need to get your bills paid on time each month. Some people believe that creating a simple spreadsheet or checklist is important, mainly if you like checking things off. By keeping things organized, you can ensure that payments are made on time each month.
Create Reminders
Once in a while, we all should be reminded of important tasks. Therefore, one way to be on time with your rent payments is to prepare these reminders for yourself in advance. Set up a calendar or use a reminder app on your phone or computer if you prefer to use an electronic reminder. Or, your reminder could be as simple as writing notes on a calendar that hangs somewhere you will be confident of seeing it.
Reward Yourself
In the end, when you pay your rent on time, keep in mind to give yourself a little treat for a job well done. Positive reinforcement can be an ideal method to ensure that you pay your rent on time every month. By treating yourself to a small sweet or splurge item, you can build positive associations with paying your rent and help you more easily remember to pay it on time every month afterward.
Paying your rent on time is easiest when your landlord offers convenient ways to pay. On the other hand, if your current landlord isn’t quite familiar with their payment options, locating one such as Real Property Management LoneStar may be advisable. You can contact our office to learn more or check our online listings to discover quality rental homes near you.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.