← All tools
Free tool
Late fee legality checker
Enter a state, the rent and the fee. The checker tests it against both things that can make a late fee unenforceable — the statutory cap and the mandatory grace period — and shows the statute behind the answer.
$
$
Pick a state and enter the rent and the fee to see whether it holds up.
Common questions
- Can a landlord charge any late fee they want?
- No. Eighteen jurisdictions set a statutory cap, and a fee above it is void rather than reduced — the tenant's signature does not save it. In the other thirty-three a reasonableness or liquidated-damages standard applies, so the fee still has to bear some relation to what the late payment actually costs the landlord.
- What is a grace period?
- The window after the due date during which no late fee may be charged. Fifteen jurisdictions mandate one, from 2 days in Texas to 30 in Massachusetts. It does not move the due date — rent is still late, and a pay-or-quit notice can usually be served. Only the fee waits.
- Is the fee void or just reduced to the cap?
- Void. Several states add a penalty on top: Colorado charges the landlord $50 per violation, and Maryland exposes them to the tenant's actual damages and legal fees.
- Where does this data come from?
- All 51 jurisdictions were read against the statute in November 2026. Each result links to a page quoting the statutory wording, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Have the software do this every time
Pacific Rentals Pro applies these rules to every lease and every move-out automatically, using the same verified state data as this page.
Start free →