Delinquency

Delinquency is measured in days past due and drives the escalation workflow — from reminder, to late fee, to statutory notice. Portfolio-level delinquency is usually reported in aging buckets: current, 1–30, 31–60, 60-plus.

A resident 12 days past due on rent sits in the 1–30 bucket, with a late fee applied and the first written notice sent.

Delinquency compounds quietly. A resident one month behind who is contacted at day five usually catches up; the same resident contacted at day forty usually does not. The escalation cadence, not the size of the fee, is what changes the outcome.

Run the delinquency list weekly. Contact by phone in the first week, offer a written payment arrangement before the balance passes a month's rent, and keep every notice on the lease record so the history is one document rather than a folder of screenshots.

Reviewing delinquency monthly instead of weekly, waiving late fees for some residents and not others, and applying partial payments in a way that quietly resets the notice clock. Notice periods and late-fee limits are set by state and sometimes city law — confirm yours.