Back to Learn

Landlord Tutorials

Set Up a Lease with Automated Rent Reminders

A full walkthrough of creating a lease and turning on automated rent reminders and late fees — so rent gets collected on time without you chasing it.

Read the full guideWhat Is the Best Way to Collect Rent From Tenants? A 30-Year Landlord's Answer

What this video covers

A start-to-finish walkthrough of creating a lease and wiring up hands-off rent collection:

  • Build the lease — tenant, term, rent, deposit, and the late-fee terms
  • Set the due date and grace period so enforcement is automatic and fair
  • Turn on rent reminders — the tenant gets a nudge before rent is due
  • Automate late fees — applied after the grace period, with both sides notified

The goal is to set it once and let it run: rent gets reminded, collected, and enforced on schedule, without you making a single phone call.

Go deeper

For the full playbook on collecting rent — the best methods, who pays the processing fees, and how to stay on top of late payers without becoming the bad guy — see the companion guide below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get tenants to pay rent on time?

Make on-time the path of least resistance and take yourself out of the chase. Set the due date and grace period in the lease, send an automatic reminder a few days before rent is due with a one-tap payment link, offer autopay, and let late fees apply automatically after the grace period. When the system does the nudging and enforcement, most tenants simply pay on time.

Can rent reminders and late fees be automated?

Yes. Once the lease terms are set — due date, grace period, and late fee — the software can send the tenant a reminder before rent is due, an overdue notice if it's late, and apply the late fee automatically after the grace period, notifying both the tenant and the landlord. It turns rent collection into a calendar job instead of an awkward phone call.

What should be in a residential lease?

At minimum: the parties and property, the term (start/end or month-to-month), the rent amount and due date, the grace period and late fee, the security deposit, and who's responsible for utilities and maintenance. Getting the rent, grace period, and late-fee terms right up front is what makes automated reminders and enforcement possible later.

Ready to manage your rentals yourself?

See How PacRent Works