It’s important for tenants to keep track of the payments they made to their landlords to prevent any conflicts and misunderstandings. The best way to do this is to provide a rent receipt to your tenant each time he makes a payment. As a landlord, you can also use a rental receipt to keep track of all the payments you receive from your tenants.
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Rent Receipt Templates
The importance of rent receipts
In some states, they require landlords to provide rent receipts to tenants. Apart from keeping all of the financial information organized, rental receipts serve as proof that the tenants have paid their rents fully and on time. As a landlord, there are several reasons why you should have your own rent receipt template.
These help you maintain professionalism when transacting with your tenants. Keeping all of the rent receipts in one file also allows you to keep track of which tenants have already paid and which ones haven’t. Of course, in cases where a tenant paid with a check, the receipt doesn’t prove that the check has already cleared. In such a case, you can still give notice to your tenant for non-payment.
A printable rent receipt is very beneficial for tenants too. When a landlord provides this document to his tenant each time he pays rent, keeping them in a single file proves that he has paid all of his rents consistently. If the landlord claims that the tenant hasn’t paid rent for a specific month, the latter can show him a copy of the receipt.
In the same way, if a landlord sues his tenant for non-payment or evicts his tenant for the same reason, the latter can prove otherwise by showing the rent receipts in court. This document also shows when the tenant paid the rent which protects him in case the landlord wants to charge a fee for late payment.
Rent Rceipt Books
What to include on your rent receipt?
When a landlord receives payment from a tenant, especially when the tenant made a cash payment, the landlord must provide a rental receipt. This can come in the form of a handwritten statement or a more official document torn out from a book of receipts. You can purchase this book from office supply stores.
But if you plan to make your own rent receipt template, make sure that it contains the following information:
- Your contact information
- The name of the tenant who’s giving the payment
- The total amount the tenant paid
- The location of the rented unit or property
- The rental period covered by the payment
- The payment method
- The date the tenant gave the payment
It’s important to include all of this information on any printable rent receipt. This way, both landlords and tenants can keep track of the rental payments and ensure that everyone makes payments on time. You may also include a section where you write the late fees or other penalties that the tenant has to pay.
The more information you include on your template, the easier it will be for you to keep track of the payments. Also, you can either keep digital or printed copies of these receipts as long as you make sure that you file everything in one place.
Printable Rent Receipts
How to use a rent receipt?
A rent receipt is an important document which you can use to keep track of rental payments tenants have made to landlords. A rental receipt serves as proof that the tenant gave his due payment to his landlord as part of his obligation in the rental agreement. These receipts also allow the landlords to keep track of all incoming payments and monitor any late payments.
For the tenants who give cash payments, the receipt serves as the only proof that they’ve made the payment. But for those who pay with checks, this doesn’t serve as proof that the check cleared. Therefore, the landlord must ensure that the check clears first otherwise, he must notify the tenant.
When writing or typing information on the rent receipt template, make sure to specify whether the tenant gave a full payment or a partial payment. For the latter, the landlord may charge a late fee to the tenant when he pays the balance at a later time. In this case, include the amount of the balance and the late fee on the receipt.
After filling out the receipt, the landlord may provide the tenant with a signed original copy. But it’s also a good idea for the landlord to keep a copy for himself to keep track of all the payments he receives.
When it comes to rent receipts, each territory and state has its own legislation with regards to rental properties. Often, landlords must provide a receipt to their tenants without charging them for it whether the tenants request for it or not. Also, tenants may have to provide copies of these receipts to former tenants in the event that they need it within a year of moving out of the rented property.
Rental Receipts
How to create a rent receipt?
For landlords who manage rental properties, they must give their tenants a printable rent receipt whenever they make a payment. Many states require this of landlords. The receipt provides the tenant with proof that he had indeed, made his payment in a timely manner.
Tenants may also use the receipt when claiming renter’s tax credits in some states. If you want to create a rent receipt template, here are some tips to guide you:
- Think about the frequency of the rental payments and the form of payment you want to accept.
- Download the rent receipt template and use it or make a few modifications to it to make it suitable for your needs and preferences.
- Make sure that your template contains all of the important information pertaining to the rental payments. You may also include other information which you think you need the receipt to have.
- Save the blank template on your computer. Print out a copy of the template then make photocopies of it so that you’re prepared any time a tenant makes a payment.
Simple as this receipt is, it’s beneficial for both the landlord and the tenant because it serves as proof that the latter made a payment to the former. Even if this isn’t a requirement in your state, having and giving receipts to tenants is highly recommended to keep all of your financial records organized and accessible.
Make sure that you include the date when the tenant made the payment on your receipt. That way, it’s clear that the tenant made the payment either before or on the due date. Otherwise, the landlord may charge the tenant a late fee if he made a late payment.
But if the tenant paid through a check and it didn’t clear, the landlord may still collect the payment from the tenant by providing evidence of the invalid check. You must also include the total amount paid by the tenant. This shows whether the tenant paid the rental amount in part or in full.
Including the rental property address is important too. If the tenant rents out an apartment, include the number of the apartment and the street address on the template. Also, include the name of the tenant who provided the rental payment. This information eliminates any confusion in about the tenant who made the payment and the property he’s renting.
Finally, affix your signature on the receipt after you’ve accepted and verified the payment. You may also want to print your name on the receipt along with your title with your signature. This shows that you’ve accepted the payment and you have the authority to collect it, especially when you’re not the landlord.
Free Rent Receipts
Sending your rent receipt
When it comes to rent receipts, the very first step is to have the proper information. Make sure that the template looks good and it provides a clear view of all the important information. Also, you should organize the information on the template well to make it easier for you to fill in the blanks.
Group similar information together to make it easier to understand. For instance, place the name of the tenant, the address of the rented property, and the payment’s rental period in one place. Then in a different area, place the other payment details like any additional fees paid by the tenant.
After filling up all of the important information, it’s time to send the receipt to the tenants. There are several ways you can do this. The best way and time to give the receipt to your tenant is right after you’ve filled in all of the information in front of your tenant. Do this after he hands the payment to you.
In cases where your tenant requests for a copy of previous receipts, you can either give the copies by hand or send them by mail depending on the location of the tenant. You may also email the receipts if you’ve decided to go paperless and have created a PDF template. In doing this, you will have an automatic collection of the receipts in your email’s sent folder.
